In the Mind
by Jessie Dunkan
Summary: Over 3000 years ago, at the age of 14, Colin was turned into a vampire. His ability to substitute blood with milk had always gone unexplained... until now.
1. Volterra

I walked through the chilly tunnels under Volterra, carefully sheltering my mind from detection or infiltration. I didn't want anyone knowing of my closeness just yet. There would be time enough for that. 

I hadn't seen the Three for decades. That expanse of time was mostly spent planning this visit. I reveled at the familiar smells wafting through the tunnels. The sameness of the tunnels almost broke down the carefully structured walls of my mind, but no. I would not be taken advantage of as I had before. I had grown above that. 

I was too close now, so I carefully opened my mind for detection and felt, almost instantly, the 'fingers' clawing at my memories, my ideas, my feelings. Just that mind-tracker, for he left them untouched. Unlike what Aro would do. I shuddered. I could never get rid of the memory of what it had felt like when his hand had taken mine. His mind's 'fingers' quickly clawing, ripping, tearing. They had seemed almost desperate as they tore through all the memories... everything. Nothing could compare to that torture. Nothing I had yet encountered. 

I approached the desk with the human standing there, staring down at my boy-ish form in shock. 

No. Not me... my eyes. 

Ah, yes. I had almost forgotten about my eyes. They were not the blood-red of those who drank of human blood. Nor were the golden topaz of the animal-drinkers, for that was not my prey. No, I had found something that could sustain me with minimal murder on my part. My irises were white, their circumference black. The rest of my eye was normal for any creature. It was just the excess of white that startled people. 

Suddenly, a shape appeared next to the girl. A vampire, male, and no doubt the one who had sensed my mind wandering through the caves of the Three. He looked at me and made a gestured to follow him. I went without hesitation. 

He led me into a tower with three thrones on one side. Their inhabitants looking dismal. Well, two of them anyway. Aro looked as cheerful as ever and I could see his fingers itching to see what I had been up to. Marcus looked as though he was slightly amused. Caius had no expression. The Three stared at me. 

Aro was the first to speak.

"Colin!" he jumped out of his seat and rushed over to me, I prepared myself. "It's been too long! We've missed you so! You were one of our first transformations and one of the best," he grabbed my hand. It took all my energy to keep from throwing a barrier around the entirety of my mind. I fell to my knees in pain as his mind's 'fingers' flipped through my memories.. He released me and backed away, unsure of what to do. I stood without speaking. Looking on with no emotion.

"What brings you here, child?" Caius spoke his face still blank. I paused to gather myself and looked around before answering. Mistake. My eyes met with the black eyes of a girl who looked not three years younger than me, by human standards. I could not release myself from those eyes. 

"Jane, leave him be," Marcus said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You'll have time to discuss whatever you'd like with Colin when he has told us what it is he's here for."

"He's here to ask for service," everyone turned to stare at Aro as he returned to his seat.

I had regained my self-control.

"My lords," I said turning to them with urgency, "Forgive me, my lords, for leaving you before. You were kind to have taken me in my lowly state of being and young age and I left you without a trace or reason," I put on a truly melancholy face, "I have regretted my decision for many years but never had the courage to return, the coward that I am," I glided quickly forward and bent to one knee, my head bowed, "Please forgive my selfish and ignorant behavior. Allow me back into your midst, my lords, please," I dared not looks up, "Please," I pleaded.

How Aro would have loved to have known my plan to destroy them. He would have thought it brilliant, amusingly so. I had calculated all that was possible to happen in this meeting and had found a way to escape from each possibility. My words, expression, and thoughts had all been figured and weighed. There was no way for them to catch me. No way for them to know. None at all.

They were silent, brooding on what a suitable punishment for this runaway would be. I grinned in their ignorance of my plan, but quickly stifled the emotion. 

"Jane," Aro said, "I believe this boy needs to be taught a lesson," boy indeed. I looked up with a fake fear as the girl that had enthralled me seconds before stepped forward and locked me with her gaze. I felt an odd sensation, as though someone was trying to activate a part of my mind that I had left open. I furrowed my brow as her gaze continued to tamper with it, like someone turning the key in the ignition of an old car that was refusing to start. Then it did.

My body felt as though it were splitting in two. My skin burned with a freezing heat, my stomach was being twisted in half, my silent heart was squeezed. I couldn't breath. I cried out with in pain as the torture of her gazed struck me to the ground. I closed my mind. I rejected any infiltration. I withdrew into myself. If I had been human, I would have blacked out, but I was not afforded that luxury. I remained in my conscious mind. When I found the power to stand I faced the girl as she struggled to breech the walls I had placed around my mind. 

I felt an overwhelming anger at her ability to destroy my body's defenses so easily. I grabbed the 'fingers' trying to twist my mind against itself and watched her surprise as I dragged them into my mind and held them there. Then, I used her connection against her. I smirked as she fell to the ground with her own pain, but quickly released her from my hold. I had only wanted to shock her into leaving me be. 

It worked.

She cowered on the floor for a second before scurrying back to her place. I wasn't smiling anymore. She had had a look worse than fear plastered on that beautiful, innocent face. I was becoming the monster everyone thought I was. I would not be like that. A slow clapping came from one of the thrones. I looked at Caius in a way that would scare any lesser to the point of insanity. 

"You know, Aro," I said allowing my eyes to focus on him, "I have changed my mind. I'd rather not serve you as I did before, but I do leave with a promise," I lowered my gaze with a little smirk, "You will hear nothing of me again."

I turned and left, surprised that no one tried to stop me. As soon as I passed through the archway with the human underneath I slammed shut the gates of my mind. No one would find me now.

But I couldn't get the image of that girl's face as it stared at me in horror before she fell with her own pain. It lingered in my mind, haunting me. I decided I had to do something. Something to fix what I'd wounded. I could not bear to be seen as a monster by anyone. Especially her.


	2. Jane

**A/N Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I did not invent it's characters, yada, yada, yada.**

I had no idea what was making stay and do this. I never did this. This was dangerous. I never did anything dangerous without extensive planning and backed assurance that I would be able to get out of it. And I had no assurance. No plan.

I took a deep breath and opened my senses to the city. Volterra was crawling with vampires and I knew it. It took me a moment, but I found the one I was looking for. I started heading to the western side of the city, where she was.

I didn't understand my obsession over her. I didn't understand how I just couldn't stop thinking of her. I couldn't push her out of my mind. What was her name?

Jane.

A person with such a beautiful name should never have been hurt by the likes of me. I was appalled with myself. Why was I appalled with myself? I couldn't find a rational reason. That frustrated me. Everything had a form of logic to it. Everything but her.

Stop it. You need to concentrate. This is dangerous. _Why am I doing this?_ The irrational girl.

Jane.

I sighed again. I was clearly losing my mind, but no matter. This mad vampire was going to apologize. No one would stop me. Wait. No. _Could _stop me. That sounded right.

I was getting closer. Moving through the dark of the alleyways, I made good time. She was just ahead... and not alone, I realized with an undeniable sinking feeling. I was _definitely_ out of my mind.

I decided to wait. Yes, I would wait for Jane to be alone. She was bound to be soon. I emerged into the light of the moon and walked into a bar at the corner.

I decided it was time to renew myself. I went to the counter and asked for the freshest milk they had. They gave me more than I had bargained for- they had just milked their goat.

I took the moment I had bought- for I _had _bought it. The man had asked for a price much too high for one glass of milk- to ponder my strange diet yet again.

Before my changing, I had hated my need to kill to feed myself. Even as a human I didn't eat the meat offered unless I was deathly hungry; which that happened a lot. So after being bitten by Aro, I decided to experiment with other options. I went to the most logical first.

Milk. It was almost the same texture as blood and had most of the same properties. The fresher, the better. But, as I found, it could not independently sustain me. It _could _stretch the minimal blood I allowed myself to consume. With the help of a glass of milk a day, I could go a month on one doe. The only side effect was an unnatural change in my eyes.

I could live with that. I had never cared to be the center of attention, but it was tolerable.

I dragged my thoughts from my past and focused, solely on the present. And one person in particular. She wasn't alone yet, but they were preparing to split paths soon. I drained the glass and went to wait.

He has left her. She was walking north. He, east. I followed her scent for a while, my cautiousness getting the best of me. But she had no plans other than to patrol the streets in search of stray vampires._ I shouldn't be here,_ I thought. And I shouldn't have. I sighed again.

Mistake. I was too close, and that little shift of the air alerted Jane to my presence. She spun in mid-step and faced me, her eyes concentrating on the pain-triggering part of my mind. I had my mind closed. I had been ready for that. She couldn't see my face in this degree of dark, as I couldn't see hers.

I rushed forward, determined not to let this chance slip away. I circled around and grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth.

"Don't scream," I whispered, I hated the fact that she would feel that need. Her fear of me was like an arrow through the heart. It was more painful than the torture of her gaze.

"I swear," my voice was a whisper, "I will not hurt you. Just don't scream." I slowly released her mouth, then her waist. She turned cautiously to look into my eyes and I could see how hard it was to conceal her fear of me.

"What do you want?" She whispered back, once again I was run through with the pain in her angel's voice.

"Just to talk," I answered, "I wanted to apologize for what I-" I breathed, "what I did to you. It was cruel and... I don't want to be a monster in your eyes," my eyes begged for her forgiveness.

She eyed me back in mistrust, that almost destroyed me. I was just about to fall to my knees and beg that I be seen at least a little well in her eyes when she said:

"Alright," though it was hesitant and a little cautious, it wasn't said in total fear of me. My unbeating heart jumped into my throat. I smiled.

She smiled back.

What was I doing? I concentrated, she was talking again.

"What did you want to talk about?" um...

"Well," I struggled, "I just, um, wanted to apologize. I didn't really know where to go from there," I looked into her face. Now she was amused. She held out her hand.

"Hello, I'm Jane." I took her hand.

"Hi, my name's Colin." I stood awkwardly, not sure what to do with her hand. She shook, so I shook back.

"Nice to meet you, Colin," she was smirking now, "So..?"

"So," I said the first thing that came to my mind, "How did you get involved with the Volturi?"

She thought a bit before answering.

"Aro picked Alec and me up, quite literally" I wanted to know more, but she asked me the next question, "How did you get involved with them and what's you power? No one's ever been able to do that before." I didn't want her to remember that.

"Well, Aro found me before he met Marcus and Caius. I was a beggar in this very city, but at the time it was just a village," I checked to see her reaction, she was interested. "He saw me steal something from right under the owner's nose with the owner looking right at me. And I got away with it. He thought something was different, so he asked to read my palm. I let him, but the moment he touched my hand-" I searched for the words to explain the pain.

"It was torture for me. It _is _torture for me. When someone messes with my mind, I can tell and usually shut them out. Aro changed me soon after we encountered. My success had given him the strangest idea. He would build an army of vampires with special talents and dominate the human race," I scoffed as I had then.

"I wouldn't have convinced him not to if my power hadn't been present. I twisted his idea into one to protect the humans in this city and make it what it is now. Marcus came soon after, then Caius. They supported the idea and formed the Three. It had worked more beautifully than I had imagined it ever could have," I looked at her, smiling.

"I'm guessing you want to know why I left?" She nodded.

"I got bored," I said, "And Caius was becoming a nuisance. We have always had a mutual hate for each other. So I left, concealing my mind from detection, and traveled for a while. I learned too much to share." I had talked enough of me. I wanted to know more about her, but her friend was coming back. I scowled, I hadn't wanted to savor this.

"Forgive me, but I can't leave you with this information, Jane," I felt a not-so-familiar lump in my throat, "I promise it won't hurt and try to think well of me."

I placed my hands on either side of her face and breathed into her mouth. Her face went blank. Her memories of our conversation were being destroyed. She would come out of her stupor not remembering ever seeing me.

"Goodbye, Jane," I turned and ran to the airport and on the plane to Seattle. I _had_ done my research here. I had found a place far away that had little sunlight, allowing me to go outdoors during the day.

The only downside to Forks, Washington was all the rain. And I could learn to live with that.

**End of Chapter two!! **

**Now, I need your help. **

**I need to know who he should discover first in Forks.**

**The Cullen, the Werewolves, or Bella?**

**They will all be met, I just wanted to know who you wanted to see first. Help me out, people!!**


	3. Forks

**A/N - No, I do not own Twilight. Though I wish I did...**

Forks.

The perfect place. It had a beautiful greenness to it, better than any greenhouse could imitate. The rain that dripped from the leaves of the forest that I was walking through ran down my face as though accepting me. I had closed my eyes long ago and was allowing my senses to guide me.

What was this peace? I had never found a thing of such assurance. I could trust nothing like I trusted the rain, and the woods, and Forks.

I sighed.

This was where I wanted to spend my life. Well, my existence. In the forest. Where the troubles of the world would never come.

I opened my eyes and beautiful colors surrounded me. I almost smiled. Something I had not done for a long while. Why had I not come here first? This was where I belonged.

I continued my slow gait, savoring the wilderness. I breathed deeply the--

I was jarred from my musing by the scent that was staggeringly familiar. The smell of one of my own kind.

She was walking towards me. I changed my course a bit to the right.

She mirrored me.

I felt for her mind and was unsure of what to do when I found it. It had a strange feel to it, as though it knew things I did not yet know.

What was this?

I burst through the trees and into a clearing.

A meadow. As beautiful and welcoming as the forest surrounding it. I stopped and forgot the she-vampire for the moment, losing myself in the glorious meadow. But not too long.

I faced the other end of the meadow, where she would emerge.

She was not of the Volturi, of that I was certain. Her smell was not familiar enough to be. And she was just one vampire. I could very easily alter the seams of her mind to forget me. Then leave her stunned and get far away for her.

There. She had emerged from the trees.

She was a petite vampire. Her black, spiky hair was untroubled by the rain. Her topaz eyes betrayed her as the drinker of animal blood she was. I was silently glad for that fact. I despised the red-eyed.

"What do you want?" I asked the question with no emotion.

"I was wondering who you were," she sounded truthful enough, "I knew I would meet you here. I was curious about you. You don't usually find foreign vampires in Forks."

I carefully gave nothing away. My face had not betrayed my thoughts in two centuries.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Alice," She answered without hesitation, "And yours?"

"Colin," I had decided my course of action. I would give her the truth.

I walked to the middle of the clearing and motioned for her to sit on the moss in front of me.

"Are you the only vampire in this area?" I asked casually. I needed to know what kind of threat I was dealing with.

"Oh, no," she sat next to me, "The Cullen coven lives in Forks right now."

"How many are in this coven? Do you know them?"

"Of course! There's Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Rosalie," How big was this coven!? "Jasper, Edward and me," my lungs heaved, "But we're a friendly coven. We don't mind passers by. Such as yourself," here she paused, "Are you traveling alone?"

"Yes," I looked up at her, being the smaller between us, "I came here to set up a new life, though now it looks as though I'll have to find a new place. Your coven owns Forks." I let real sadness creep into my tone. I had really liked this place and wanted to live here, but no. This was another's territory.

"Why are your eyes that color?" She must not have been listening. I should get contacts like some of the Volturi had. They would cause less questions and odd looks than my current eye color.

"I drink milk between hunting trips," I sighed, "That way I don't have to hunt as often. I never liked the idea of drinking blood, so I do it only when I absolutely have to."

"That's interesting." I had grown tired of this idle talk. I had the information I had needed.

I looked for a piece of skin she had left uncovered. Her hands. Perfect.

All I needed was a moment of contact with that skin. I stood.

So did she.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Alice," I said, holding out my hand in the gesture Jane had made to me back in Italy. She grabbed it.

Her face went blank of all emotion.

I let go. Her hand dropped to her side with no hindrance. I walked past her and into the woods on the other side of the meadow.

She would be a bit happier than usual for a few days, then would go back to normal. There was only one case where the happiness caused by my mind's sewing had become permanent.

Aro.

I still couldn't fully comprehend that he could have thought to try and dominate the humans.

He had been a test, to see if I could really alter the fabric of another's mind. And I had done so, but with major fault. I had not only erased his plan, I had accidentally inserted one of my ideas. The idea he had used. Creating the Volturi.

The insertion of my idea had left him permanently damaged. He had always been a little too happy since.

But no one seemed to mind.

Oh well, I thought to myself as I wandered farther into the woods, loosing myself again.

I loved Forks. It was really too bad that I couldn't stay here.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the sultry smells of the forest, thanking the rain for concealing me.

Then I smelled it, heard it. I tasted a fear I did not understand. I opened my eyes and had the strong urge to close them again. Slam them shut against the horror facing me.

Standing in front of, and all around, me... were gigantic wolves.

**A/N - I would like to thank Writingdreamer16 for giving me the idea of having Colin meet Alice first. It _did_ make a lot of since and that got me past a HUGE writers block.**

**Funny fact: This was supposed to be a short chapter. Consisting of him describing Forks and all that jazz. **

**I guess I had a bit of a Stephenie Meyer moment...**

**Thank you, all that commented!!**


	4. Challenge

**A/N - Nope... still no owning of Twilight.**

I stared at the black mass in front of me. His ominous eyes, directly in front of my ghostly white ones, told me his feelings without me having to venture into his mind.

Anger. Rage. Rancor. Hatred for me. I looked into those eyes so different from mine and wondered why he hated me. I had to know. I reached for him. My hand stretched toward his muzzle.

Mistake.

He took a snap at my outstretched hand, too quick to be any regular wolf. I drew my hand away, just fast enough to keep it. I took a step back.

I felt the air around me tense with their muscles. I turned, very slowly.

There were ten of them. All of them bore the same expression. A human expression.

I dared not breathe. The movement would have sent them on me, too fast to blink.

I turned back around to look at the black leader. He was obviously the leader. He stood farther in the circle than the rest. I looked at him and filled my lungs. Once. Twice.

I bent slowly. I eased onto my knees then sat carefully on the soles of my shoes.

I waited, looking at the black one. I tried to keep my face blank, but I doubt I succeeded. My fear was too prodigious to keep hidden.

A silver wolf to his right shivered as though he wanted nothing more than to attack me. The black's head swung to look at him, for the briefest of moments. I took no advantage of this weakness. I was outnumbered. And even one of my power can not conquer ten independent minds.

I looked around again and spotted a russet wolf staring at me. His expression caught and held me. His look was of pure hatred- stronger and more absolute than the rest.

I swung my head back towards the black. He had made a step back.

He receded into the surrounding forest.

The air grew more tense: the silver wolf shifted himself so that he covered his place and the black's. I could feel the wolves' muscles constrict, ready for the spring.

I closed my eyes.

This was to be the end. I could feel it.

But there was no ripping of my flesh. Nothing burned my existence into a cloud of purple smoke. I dared a look at my surroundings. There in front of me, stood a man.

His hair was cropped close to his head and his brow held the weight of too many years, but his eyes.

Black eyes.

The eyes of the black wolf.

"Who are you." His voice held no emotion.

"Colin." I could not look into his eyes. I was probably thousands of years older than this thing, and I was scared to the point of death of him and his pack- if that's what they were.

"Why do you kneel."

"I don't know what else to do." I still didn't look at him. Couldn't look at him.

"Why don't you fight." I glanced at his eyes, then resumed studying the ground.

"I-" I stammered, looking back at him, "I am not a fool." I said it incredulously.

"Explain." His eyes held no emotion.

"Well," I took a deep breath, "there are ten of you, and one of me. If there were less," I risked a half-smile, "It would be a different story."

The russet growled from my right. The man glanced there. So did I.

The wolf was shaking in barely-controlled rage. I reached for the feelings in his mind. I found more than that.

_Calm down, Jacob,_ I could hear their thoughts! All of them! I could not read the thoughts of others... and yet, here was an entire pack of wolves- well werewolves- and their minds were an open book for the reading.

_Why should I?_ The russet- Jacob- asked, his 'words' full of his hatred for me, _He's a filthy bloodsucker. Why can't I attack him now?!_

_Sam said no! _This came from the wolf on his right.

_I don't give a damn what Sam said, Quil, I want him dead. _I was shocked at the anger conveyed by just his thoughts.

_Jacob,_ a wolf across the circle said, my head swung to the opposing side of the circle,_ You know what Sam says, goes. Please,_ he was pleading, _Jacob, breathe._

_I know, Embry,_ said Jacob as he took a ragged breath.

"Why are you here."

"Huh?" My concentration was ripped from the mind-battle of the wolves. It took a moment for my eyes to focus on the man in front of me again.

"Why are you here."

He spoke the words as though he was talking to someone slow. That angered me.

"I came here for my own reasons," I was angry and knew of the connection between their minds now. This could be easy.

"I am of no obligation to tell you of my intentions here." I concentrated, reached for the man's mind and the mind of the silver wolf beside him.

_What's he doing,_ they were all suddenly alert. Their muscles tensed for the spring.

"Don't," I warned, "If you do, all you minds will be destroyed before you lay a hand, or paw, on me."

"What do you mean." The man was mocking. I decided to change that. I searched for that part of the brain Jane tampered with. I tickled it.

The man fell, with a shout, to the ground. The wolves looked at him, then me, then back again. I did not move. I felt a pulse of venom flow into my mouth.

The man got up, shaking a bit. Not with rage, but fear... And pain.

"Wow." I couldn't help but marvel at the power it gave me, making him fall to the ground by my hand.

_What did he just say?_ The one called Embry said.

"I said, wow," looking at him, "I've never done that before. I never had this much power over a group of minds." I was marveling as I spoke.

"I can read no one's mind, but when I tried to touch yours, just to get a feeling, I get all of you thoughts."

I could feel their panic.

They looked at each other desperately.

"Would you happen to know of the Cullen coven?" I wanted to know more of them. Maybe I could stand to live here after all.

_Them?!_ Jacob spoke. I looked at him, _What do you care about them?_

"Well, they happen to be a very large coven. I'd like to know more about them."

I felt Jacob's anger burn at the mention of them. I found a girl in his thoughts. And her name.

"Bella." I said the name aloud, contemplating it. That was too much for the poor Jacob.

He attacked me faster than I could have blinked. He was on me, ripping at the arm I had thrown up in protection. His incisors and canines grabbed for my throat as we tumbled out of the circle.

_Jacob!_ His comrades screamed at him through their minds.

I struggled. There was a moment where I was certain of death, then a moment's chance of getting away, then it was gone. Then back again. His body was unbearably hot. The heat smothered me, making me feel helpless.

Jacob and I fought for my freedom or demise. We rolled over each other in a battle more fierce than any I had ever encountered. I was slightly aware of the other wolves following us. They did not join in the fight. I could not get back in their minds.

Then I clicked. Something took over.

I snarled with him. My throat rumbled with his. My being burned with my hatred of him.

I threw him off of me and gained my feet as he quickly recovered and charged full-force.

I met him head on. We fought for the advantage. I won. He won. I won. He won.

I won.

I threw him on his back and went for the kill. I was an inch from pouncing, my venom flowing anew, when I took back over. Horror spread through me.

Faster than lightning, I shot through a gap in the reinstated circle. I ran, my lungs heaving in fear. I ran and they did not follow.

I ran until I burst through the trees, and almost collided with a car- an old truck.

I disappeared back into the trees before the driver- a girl looking a bit older than me- had even noticed my being there.

I had almost killed him. I had almost destroyed a life for no better reason than he had stood in my path. I shivered.

The archaic red truck moved slower than a snail compared to the speed my fear had driven me to.

I watched the girl as she turned off the side road into a barely visible driveway. I could smell her even from this far away. She smelled odd.

I wondered.

She smelled vaguely familiar. She smelled like she had had close contact with one of my kind.

Very close contact.

I followed at a safe distance.

I saw her go to the front door of the white house in front of the driveway she had turned into and knock. She looked as though it was unnatural for her to do that.

A vampire came out. His topaz eyes found hers and fell in love with them. I turned away, not wanting to intrude. But I turned back, still very curious about Forks. This was a very odd place. I caught a word that gave me an idea.

"Graduation."

I re-stated the word and decided. Everyone would be at a graduation. Maybe I could find a way to get a layout of this odd land I had stumbled upon.

I would go to the graduation. I would solve this mystery. It was a challenge. I've always liked a challenge.

**A/N - Oh my goodness, it's finished! **

**This chapter took too many days to finish. Whew! I love it though. It was worth it. And now (hopefully) we all know that this story is set at the end of Eclipse.**

**You have read, now Review!! (please) You will get a cookie.**


	5. Marie

**A/N - I'm introducing a new character in this one. It starts out from her point of view so don't freak when you start reading.**

I followed the beautiful girl, holding my mommy's hand. It was my birthday. My mommy had taken me here as a present. I raised my head a little higher as I thought of the fact that I was now ten years old. I could fill up all of my fingers with that number.

The girl led us past a receptionist in the middle of the tunnel we were walking through. I had a strange feeling as we walked under that gateway. I frowned and saw a side-path.

I quickly dragged my mother into it. She was resistant, but a tug and my scared face brought her along quickly.

"What's wrong, Marie?"

I said I didn't know, but to hurry. I pulled her farther along in the tunnel.

"I can't see a thing, Marie. Where are we going?" I stopped and she almost ran into me.

Right in front of us was a boy. He looked a little bit older than me, but there was one big difference.

He had red eyes.

I could see perfectly well in the darkness. I always had been able to. I had never been afraid of it. I had always preferred the dark to the light. It was more peaceful.

But he scared me.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Mom asked from behind me. I barely breathed. He took a step closer.

I made a sort of whimper and stepped back into my mom.

"What's wrong." Mom was alert now.

He took another step forward. His foot made not noise on the damp floor. He was beautiful, just like the girl.

I was afraid. Very afraid. I wanted to run away as fast as I could, screaming.

"You're not supposed to be here." The boy spoke calmly, smoothly. His silky voice was terrifying. I could almost feel my eyes roll around in my sockets in fear, like a frightened horse.

"Who's there?" my mother's voice was distraught with panic.

The boy was moving closer. His pupils, enforced by his red irises, were glaring into my shockingly green, terrified eyes.

My heart beat much too quickly, my eyes rolled, my lungs heaved, my diaphragm ached from excessive labor.

He took another step- my hands came together. Fingers straight, the places between my thumb and pointer finger clicked into each other, the palm of my right hand resting on the back of my left. I closed my eyes and was consumed by complete darkness.

I heard screaming from outside of the tunnel where I had dragged my mother, then a much closer screaming. All were blood-curdling and chilled me to the bone.

My mother stopped screaming.

I opened my eyes.

I was alone, but for the cold body of my mother. There she lay on the ground, ghostly white. I tried to swallow my tears, but they came no matter how unwelcome.

I screamed her name as I fell to my knees and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Then I felt three pairs of cold hands on me.

My sadness turned to anger. My upper lip curled over my teeth in a snarl. I turned and unleashed the dreadful monster inside of me.

_Colin's POV_

Why had I gone to this graduation? Nothing has happened here. I can see that Jacob in human form and have seen two of the Cullens... both of which I had already seen.

Here comes the legendary Bella Swan. There is absolutely nothing extraordinary about her. Why she's attracted the attentions of a vampire and a werewolf is beyond my comprehension. I would never fall for someone that clumsy, look! She almost fell off the stage in her excitement! Nothing remarkable whatsoever.

I turned and left. This was pointless. I was gaining nothing by it. There was nothing to be gained by this and I knew it. I'm not one to linger in an unnecessary place for too long.

I walked out into the rain and took a deep breath. I was starting to tire of this confusing place. I decided I would leave the next morning if nothing of importance had happened. I could find haven in some other, not-so-inhabited place.

My throat burned uncomfortably. I tried to rub the sore, scratchy feeling out of my esophagus, without prevail. I needed to hunt. Milk could only sustain me for so long. I had already passed to month marker.

I would hunt tonight.

**A/N - Sorry this chapter's so short. But this is where it has to end. It's just one of those things where there's nothing more to happen, so, sorry.**

**Reviewers will get a hug from Jacob (or Edward if you prefer _him_). **

**By the way, I changed the summary because it no longer fit the story. **


	6. The Clearing

**A/N - I don't own Stephenie Meyer's wonderful characters... I use some direct quotes from her beautiful book in this chapter. You can look it up if you want. (It starts on page 539.) I credit her with the entirety of this story (except Colin).**

_Colin's POV_

I walked through the woods. This rain was being very troublesome. It hid the scents of animals so efficiently I had to search blindly.

A bird fluttered across my path. I pounced. That helped to quench my thirst a little. I sighed.

But not enough.

A mouse scurried away from me. This was pathetic. I was used to _smelling_ my game before I caught it. I was likely to hunt for a month and still not be full.

A wolf howled in the distance. I looked in it's direction. It's mournful cry shattered the air.

I shook my head, wondering what the damned werewolves had done this time.

A rabbit hopped in front of me. I was on it so fast, it's feet hadn't touched the ground.

That had been a bit more satisfying.

I continued to walk aimlessly through the forest.

It wouldn't surprise me if the animals had sensed my presence and scurried into their dens or ran far away.

I sighed. How frustrating.

I froze. The sounds of a battle weren't far off. I opened my nostrils to the smells. _Newborns_. I sneered at the word. They were nothing but trouble. I had had to exterminate an army of newborns when I had been with the Volturi.

It had been no fun.

They were full of brute strength, but none were trained. It was all too easy to destroy them.

But there were more in this fight. I smelled animal-drinkers. The Cullens.

I ran a bit closer, until I could sense their minds. The werewolves were there too.

_Jacob, to your right!_ The silver one said.

I could see through Jacob's eyes. He grabbed one, ripping it to shreds within seconds.

I turned away from the werewolves' minds and tried to concentrate on the Cullens'.

One was calm, dealing with the newborns with practiced hands. I felt him get suddenly angry with pain. He must have been bitten by one.

One was getting impatient. It seemed she wasn't getting a very fair share of the fight.

The others were equally determined to get the job done fast. Though one was enjoying it less than the others.

I broadened my range.

I had been told there were seven Cullens, and I only sensed six, but the other one couldn't be so far off.

There, off in the mountains. He was concentrating on something. Taking the defensive. There was a newborn and a female approaching him. There was a werewolf near him. I closed my eyes and looked through his.

The wolf looked at the vampire, Edward... who was protecting a human girl? Why hadn't I sensed her? Never mind.

"Go, Seth!" Edward whispered urgently. And Seth sprinted into the woods. I followed with his gaze. He didn't go far. He had every intention of re-entering the brawl he had just escaped from. How immature. He turned and waited, listening.

"Who?" it was the girl.

"Victoria," Edward spat the word, "She's not alone. She crossed my scent, following the newborns in to watch- she never meant to fight with them. She made a spur-of-the-moment decision to find me, guessing that you would be wherever I was. She was right. You were right it was always Victoria."

Huh... this Victoria figure seemed to be quite a nuisance to Edward's mind. I could feel his rancor towards her.

I could also feel Victoria's mind. Hers was filled with longing. Why that was so, I didn't know. It seemed a misplaced feeling.

"Riley," Edward was speaking again.

I went back to Seth's thoughts.

_Wait,_ he thought to himself,_ Wait just a bit longer, when they're distracted. Then I'll join in and kill myself a bloodsucker._ I rolled my eyes. He was so immature. I felt his face curl into a wolfish grin as though it were my own.

_Now!_ He leaped from the trees with a snarl. He leaped onto the newborn, ripping him to shreds. I felt my muscles tense with his, wrapped my teeth around the bloodsucker's hand. I shook my head let the part I had torn off fly.

"No," Victoria said. She was staring at the girl.

It was Bella!

Riley had gained his feet in front of me and shoved his foot into my shoulder. There was a crunch, but I wasn't hurt.

But it'd be fun to pretend I was. I limped around in a circle. Riley had his arms out, ready.

I lunged at Riley from the side, and tore away another piece of him, throwing it into the forest. He roared in fury and I agilely skipped back. He took a swipe at me with his freshly-mangled hand.

His fist caught my flank. I yelped for the drama of it and backed away. Faking trying to shake off the pain.

I let him drive me to the face of the cliff. I snapped at him, forcing him back. I stopped faking.

I circled and allowed my tail to brush Edward's back.

"No, he won't turn on me," Edward said to Victoria, "You provided us with a common enemy. You allied us."

_That's right filthy bloodsucker,_ referring to Victoria.

"Is he really so much like the monster James tracked across Siberia?" Typical Edward. Answering thoughts.

"Not the same? Impossible!" She screeched the last word. Seth and I flinched at it's sound, but didn't let the leech in front of us out of our sight.

"Nothing is impossible," Edward said taking a step closer to her, "Except what you want. You'll never touch her."

Riley was transfixed as 'his' bloodsucker and Edward started the death dance again. I pounced, taking another piece out of him, but he caught me in the chest at the same time.

I flew and hit the cliff face above Bella. The wind was knocked out of me. I fell a few feet in front of her and allowed a whimper to escape. I waited. He would attack, I would win.

Riley glared at me and what was left of his hands curled into talons. He opened his mouth, preparing to try and rip my throat out. _Filthy bloodsucker._ I grinned to myself.

Bella gasped, Victoria was thrown against a tree and Edward was taking care of Riley. That was _my_ job. I leaped to my feet and helped Edward.

His shrieks of agony pierced the campsite. Edward threw the arm of the vampire he had attacked behind him. I heard a crack as it collided with something mid-air.

I started to circle Riley again. I smirked, he was retreating, he placed his remaining arm protectively in front of him. _That won't help you now._

I rushed in and torn the arm off, then backed out. I snickered.

"Victoria!" The little leach was calling out to his master. I rushed again and we barreled into the trees.

I shook my head out of the werewolf's. I had seen enough. I could still hear both battles from here, but I wanted to see no more. It was too familiar.

The noises of battle ceased. I waited a few moments, then turned to leave.

A howl stopped me. I turned and sped back to Seth's mind.

I screamed and fell to the ground, unable to disconnect myself from the agony.

I was being crushed. I could feel my bones break.

"Seth!" Edward shouted.

We were still crouched in agony.

_I will go there._

"No!" he ordered us, "You go _straight home_. Now. As fast as you can!"

We whimpered, shaking our head from side to side.

"Seth. Trust me."

We stared into his eyes for a long second, then straightened up and flew into the trees.

I flew away from that place as fast as I could. Taking a route that would take me out of everyone's paths. I pulled out of the web of thoughts the werewolves were sending to each other.

This was too much for my mind to handle. I stopped. Fell to my knees, my hands pressed to my ears. I did not allow myself to breathe.

I don't know how long I stayed hunkered there. I waited for my mind to sort things out then allowed sanity to wash over me again. It didn't.

I was still thirsty.

I looked up as I sensed a mind nearby, then looked around, hissing.

"What a coincidence," Jane said from my right as four others emerged from the trees, surrounding me. This look recently familiar. Only this time, I was facing vampires, not controllable werewolves.

And they were trained to deal with someone like me.

"Either you can come quietly, or we can lock you up, physically and mentally and take you back to Volterra." She sounded bored.

"What do they want of me in Volterra?" my brow was furrowed, my lips revealing my teeth.

"Caius would like to speak to you," she said, "You left in such a hurry last time you gave him no time to."

She grinned as though at a joke.

"So?" she said, returning to boredom, "How will you come?"

I waited a moment.

I had no doubt that one of the five that were here had some means of locking a mind upon itself. I did not want my one defense taken from me.

"I will come quietly."

**A/N - Another chapter, done. Wow, that was fast. **

**I've started writing another story as well, called Full Moon. It's also about vampires, but not Twilight vampires. They're almost of my own invention. But nothing is original anymore. It is always, in some way, a copy. So I can't say I was the originator. **

**I just started it, but I just started this too. So it will come along quite nicely, if I may say so myself.**

**Keep looking for the next chapter of 'IN THE MIND!!'**


	7. Trapped

**A/N - No ownage of Twilight.**

I jumped down the hole in the ground and allowed my knees to bend on contact with it. I looked around.

I had left this place with no intention of coming back not three days ago and here I was... again.

I had planned to destroy them and didn't follow through with it.

Jane jumped down, almost on top of me. I moved just in time. She looked disappointed. How could I have loved that? I pick out the worst prospect mates.

Jane moved on and I followed. No sense in _not_ following. That would just get me in more trouble. I could sense the others close behind us.

We walked past the receptionist.

I had expected us to go on. To the chamber were the Three meet, but we went to the right into a dark tunnel.

It smelled of rotten blood.

Something dreadful had happened here. I could see a stain where a body had lain. There seemed to be shadows hovering around the walls.

Jane's friend was walking towards us.

"Alec!" Jane sounded sincerely worried and I was shocked. The boy vampire's veins were black. There seemed to be shadows hovering around him too.

"What happened?" Jane had rushed to him and was examining his wrists.

"Some maniac human with a freakish power," he said then winced with some unseen pain.

"Come, I'm supposed to show you the way." Alec turned around and walked, slowly, leading us.

The tunnel sloped down. The floor grew more wet. The tunnel split and we took a right. Then a left.

We arrived in a room. No, a chamber. A jail cell. As soon as I walked into the room I felt a sudden dread, stronger than anything.

They couldn't punish me. I was too strong for them to do anything that could shake me.

But I could punish myself. And they could get me to do it. All they had to do was-

Shit.

I smelled her before I saw her. Her scent was overwhelming. It smelled so- seductive.

I wanted to lose myself in that smell.

I wanted to bury my face in her neck and drink her veins dry.

Shit.

I shook my head and held my breath.

There was Caius, standing on one side of jail cell with the human girl's wrist held tightly in his hand.

This was turning out to be one of the worst days of my life.

"Good evening, Colin." He said 'evening' as a three-syllable word.

"Good evening, Caius," I replied. I tried breathing, testing my ability to resist her with my hunger.

It was possible, but torture. I stopped trying.

"Where was he?" Caius asked Jane.

"In the forest at Forks."

"Well, well," he smirked as though someone had told a rather amusing joke, "Two fish in one catch. How did the Cullens fair?" Jane looked down when she answered.

"They lost none. There were almost twenty newborns and they faired well, against all the odds."

_You don't know of the werewolves do you?_ I didn't let the smile creep into my face. Caius would suspect something.

I looked at the girl. She was young. Much too young to be involved with the Volturi, but they had taken me on and she looked only a few years younger than I had been.

She also didn't look scared.

She was looking curiously around the room, at all the faces.

She looked at me.

I had a sudden chill down my spine. Her eyes were greener than jade and seemed to smile at me. I lost myself in those eyes. They had more depth than all the expanses of the ocean.

Her face was surrounded by long, thin lengths of fair hair. That hair looked as wispy as a cloud. I could picture it brushing across her face as a west wind pushed it, ever so slightly, out of place.

And into perfection.

"Marie," the girl looked up in shock when Cauis said her name, "What do you think of Colin." he said, gesturing to me.

She looked confused, opening and closing her mouth in an indecision to talk.

"Well," she said, looking back at me, "He looks nice," she looked harder, "I feel like I can trust him."

She was completely innocent. Naive of the danger surrounding her. Unaware that I was the most dangerous thing to trust.

I so wanted to prove myself wrong on that point, but how could I? I was a huger-driven animal and I knew it. I hadn't eaten in a month. My throat burned at that very thought.

I felt the black of my eyes widen into the white. I was too hungry. This was too much.

I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on something else. Anything else.

"How are you Colin?" Caius whispered, but I could hear him, "How have you been?" I felt him step closer to me.

I tensed involuntarily. _Um, Forks. Yeah, there were beautiful trees in Forks. There were interesting people there too. _

"You look thirsty," Cauis whispered, "May I offer you a drink?"

_Yes, interesting people. A coven, almost as big as the Volturi. _

_What was their name?_

"She's a wonderful specimen," I sharply inhaled at the closeness of his voice and she did indeed smell wonderful.

_No! Um, what was that girls name?_ I was panicking. I needed to concentrate.

_Um. It started with a B, right? Yeah, a B. _

_Beatrice? No. Bethany? No. Becca? That's close. What _was_ it? _

"She's perfect. Her innocence will make her blood flow sweeter than anything you've ever tasted," his voice was right next to my ear.

"Try it. It's good."

"Bella!" I shouted the word, a look of triumph on my face.

"What?" Caius wasn't whispering anymore. I stopped breathing again.

"What did you just say?" I didn't respond.

"How do you know of Bella?" I said nothing.

Caius glared at my vacant face and unmoving mouth and growled, then hissed.

He quickly strode over to the girl, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her over to the table against the wall.

He placed her hand, palm up, on the table and drew a silver knife.

My eyes widened as he laid it upon her exposed wrist.

My venom flew with new fervor. I felt the black of my eyes grow to encompass almost all of my eye. I struggled.

A thing roared inside of me that wanted Caius to press the knife through her skin, giving the blood room to flow. It wanted her blood. It wanted it badly.

A weaker part frowned and said, very advently, _no._

I sided with the weaker part, but the monster was hungry.

_I need blood._

"Stop!" and everything did. For it was not I who had spoken. The little girl struggled with the hold Caius had on her wrist. She looked very angry.

She had not cried out in fear, but rage. Caius released her. In disbelief and we all stared at her.

She stood there, positively fuming at Caius.

If it had been any other moment, I would have fallen to the ground with laughter. A human child, looking as though she were about to scold a three-thousand-year-old vampire.

"I can't believe you," it took all of my self control to _not_ fall to the ground with laughter. She was _disciplining_ him!

"You told me that this was a royal family. Royal families don't treat noble-" she struggled to find a word, "people like this." She went on.

"Even not-noble people deserve to be ruled under the hammer of law!" I was failing not to smile now. She was so adorable!

"You are a bad man!" She said, pointing a stubby finger at him.

I snorted. I couldn't contain myself. I tried to take a calming breath and stopped in the middle of it, the monster re-surfacing.

Caius got his composure back in the second it took me to stop my breathing again. His mouth twisted into a crooked smile as he said,

"Felix, unlock the gate," Felix ran over and inserted a key into the keyhole of the cell door. The iron creaked as he swung it open.

Caius, in one quick motion, grabbed the girl's wrist and flung her through the doorway and against the stone wall inside the cell.

She yelped as her body made contact with the hard rock, then slumped to the floor and lay there. A heap of wounded spirit.

I rushed to the doorway, in a panic for her. A foot shoved into my back and pushed me on top of her. I stopped my body from crushing her by mere seconds. But it was our close proximity that almost killed her.

I scurried to the other side of the cell in one fluid movement.

"I give you a week, at most." Caius smiled maliciously as he looked at me, shying away from my desire for her blood.

Then he left. And so did the others. They locked an iron door on the way out.

I was suddenly exhausted. If only the sweet surrender of sleep were possible.

I leaned my head against the cold stone behind me and realized, I was as cold as that stone.

And as heartless.

Then I remembered the girl.

Keeping my lungs plugged against her scent, I went a safe distance closer to her.

Her form had righted itself and was curled up, against the rock.

She was shivering with the cold of the stone and, I realized, sobbing.

She leaned back her head and a weak wail escaped her throat, then she was back to sobbing into her knees.

_Um._

"Are you alright?" I whispered.

She turned sharply around, fear in her eyes. When they landed on me, they softened and she smiled, ever so slightly.

She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and nodded, then shook her head.

"I hurt."

It was put so simply, I didn't know how to respond.

I stared at her.

"Where does it hurt?" the words came out of my mouth unbidden, but I couldn't take them back.

"Here," she pointed at her chest and sobs wracked her body again.

"I feel so alone," she said, faced away from me, "My heart feels empty." She hiccuped.

I wanted to comfort her. Tell her everything would be alright.

But I couldn't.

Caius had been right. I wouldn't last the week with her. I couldn't resist her smell for much longer.

She had turned and was facing me, curiously. She had tear stains running down her cheeks, but she didn't look sad anymore. She was nothing but curious.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

I couldn't tell her the truth.

"Forks."

"You're lying." There was no conviction in her voice. She said it as though she were remarking on the weather.

I didn't know how to respond.

"Tell me what you're thinking about," she said, her head tilted to the side, "I promise I won't be mad or scared." She was completely sincere. Her green eyes looked innocently into mine.

I stared into those eyes.

She propped herself up onto her hands and knees and crawled over to me.

I stiffened, but didn't shy away.

She sat on her heals in front of me and took my hand from my lap and placed it in hers.

She traced all the lines across my palm, then turned my hand over and examined my fingers.

I watched in fascination as she studied every detail like it was a beautiful work of art.

Then, my hand still in hers, she looked up, back into my eyes.

"You don't have to keep your mind to yourself. You can share it, you know."

I stared at her and felt a sudden urge to tell her everything.

But I couldn't do that. It wasn't allowable.

I took my hand gently from hers and backed away, against the stone that was too much like myself.

She looked sad. As though I had done her some great disappointment.

But... I just didn't want to hurt her.

Right?

"I don't know why you won't tell me what's wrong," she said, looking down, "but I just want to help." She crawled over to the corner farthest from me. Shadow swallowed her.

I looked closer, trying to find her in the utter darkness, but I couldn't see her. She had disappeared.

"Are you still there?" I asked.

The shadows thinned, revealing her.

"Yes."

She was looking at me again. I avoided her gaze. That gaze was too pure for me to face.

She made me see all my wrongs. She made me realize I wasn't as good as I had convinced myself I was.

She made me feel uncomfortable with the way I was living.

Her eyes screamed, "Live!! You have so much to share. Lend your knowledge to people who need it! Let people in!!" but that was a very hard thing to do.

I had spent centuries in my mind and it was safe. I didn't want to leave that security.

But when I looked up... I had to.

I could trust her.

Marie.

**A/N - This is the second time writing this. **

**The first time, Marie had some freakish power that made no sense, so I had to re-write it. **

**I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as I can, but finals are coming up. I'll write when I can!**

**(Just so you know: This story is seven full pages on Open Office. Twelve point... wow.)**

**Seven is my lucky number... chapter seven, seven pages... it fits.**


	8. Backstories

**A/N - This is a chapter of back stories, so don't sweat it when it's not Collin or Marie. Also, these things happen in the for lack of a better word 'past.' In other words, Colin and Marie have already told their POVs of these particular happenings. Still don't own Twilight. And without further ado...**

**Liam's POV**

I almost couldn't believe we were doing this. Colin had told us of the Volturi. Why were we even considering joining them?

It had been Mira's idea. I looked back from my post on the flat roof at the girl. She was watching the moon rise in peace, twirling tendrils of water between her fingers.

Overall, she looked quite harmless... now. I knew that the moment any danger approached, she and her water would kill even if it was vampire.

I looked back down at the alley below. It wasn't really very remarkable. The sliver of a moon cast a light that, to me, was enough to see every nook and cranny.

But I wasn't looking at the alleyway for the view. It was my job to see where the Volturi went in and came out.

We had tracked them to this dead end, then they disappeared. It was as though they had never existed.

So here I stood with my coven of exceptional vampires and a forsaking leader. I had always sort of missed him. He was way too young to have been changed, but he had managed himself with incredible ease. The only thing wrong with him was his diet. I shivered.

"Brenden," I whispered, turning. He looked up, "Why are we joining the Volturi when Colin's probably going to come back?"

He took a deep breath.

"Because, Liam," he said tiredly, "He never did come back. We've waited long enough."

He turned back to his book. I turned back toward the alley.

There were people- vampires- six of them. Two looked to be young in age.

"Brenden, Mira!" I whispered as urgently as I could and as quietly.

They rushed silently to my sides. Brenden had a hungry gleam in his eye.

I looked closer, trying to make out who they were.

There was the big guy, huge and bear-like. The skinny mind-tracker, casting his eyes around suspiciously. The girl who tortured with her mind and it the middle, surrounded by all of them, was-

"It's Colin!!" It took all of my self control not to scream this.

Brenden and Mira looked closer, surprised. Brenden's eyes narrowed.

"And it looks like they're escorting him," he said, squinting at the situation, "Whatever their reason for taking him, Colin doesn't want to be here."

Now I glared at the group. The girl pushed aside the cap over the sewage and gestured in a mocking way for Colin to go first.

He jumped into the hole, the girl right after him. Everyone followed suit until they were gone.

We all stared while the hole was covered again by the cap, and waited in silence.

When nothing happened for a long while, we silently turned and retreated to the back of the roof.

"What are we going to do?" I said, "We can't just leave him to whatever mercy they offer him," I moved my gaze between them, "He'll be dead or permanently tortured if we don't do _something_!"

They both stared at me. Then Brenden put a palm on by forehead and opened my jaw.

"Good," he said, "So these urgings to save him are mine."

I pulled away from his grasp and glared at him.

"I wouldn't use my silver tongue on you unless you were making no sense whatsoever," I shook my head and looked at Mira, "Do _you_ feel the sudden urge to save our leader?"

She stared at the surrounding buildings for a while, twirling her water all the faster.

She eventually turned back to me with a huge sigh and said, "Yes. Can we go now?"

I grinned at her and gestured, "After you."

**Alec's POV**

Aro had told me to keep watch of the tunnels as punishment. I hadn't eaten just as long as they hadn't and yet, he wouldn't let me feed.

As I walked through the hall, listening to the hundreds of people walking to their deaths, I almost couldn't resist rushing out and grabbing a few for myself, but I was forbidden from it.

I knew there would only be harsher punishment for that.

I was surprised when I smelled two humans rushing toward me through the tunnel. My thirst took over.

I walked toward them. No human would be able to see me in the total darkness, but when I was close enough to be seen, the girl stopped. She was a bit younger than me and obviously human. She was grasping the arm of an older female.

"I can't see a thing, Marie. Where are we going?" The woman was looking blindly around, the girl staring at me in fear. This registered as wrong, but in my thirst I ignored that.

"What is it, sweetheart?" the woman asked the girl. I took a step closer and the girl made a sort of whimper. The woman became immediately worried.

"What's wrong?" She was squinting in the darkness, trying to see whatever was causing her child fear. I took another step forward.

"You're not supposed to be here," I said. The woman froze, whites of the girl's eyes were clearly visible.

"Who's there?" the woman said with authority.

The girl was hyperventilating. I could hear her heart hammering against her chest. I took another step.

Her hand came in front of her chest, right over left, thumbs locked. She closed her eyes and disappeared.

I attacked. Her mother's scream was quickly stifled. The screams continued, though. The feast in the hall had just begun.

I drank my fill, leaving her with only a few drops of blood. I was no longer uncontrollably thirsty.

At the corner of my left eye, I saw the shadows move like a slow-motion fire.

I ran for some of the others keeping humans out of the tunnels. I found two.

We ran back to where the woman and girl were and found the girl bent over the woman, crying.

We grabbed for her at the same time.

Faster than possible, her body grew hard, then she turned on us, breaking our grip on her.

Her face was contorted with rage as her hands came together again. Her fingers entwined together, as though praying, then she opened her palms to us.

The shadows moved around us, swirling. Then they attacked. I couldn't see. I could feel something seeping into my bloodstream, to my muscles and bones. The invasion left me stiff. I couldn't move. I felt as though I had been dried.

My last thoughts before my mind went black were confused by darkness.

**A/N - Wanna know what Marie's/Liam's/Brenden's/Mira's powers are?**

**Well I'll tell you. Just not yet. KEEP READING!!**

**You've read... now REVIEW!! peas...**


	9. The Coven

**I'm excited about this chapter!! So excited. I love Liam and his gang (even though he's not the leader)... they're great.**

**Colin's POV**

I was sitting as far away from Marie as was physically possible. Getting any closer would kill her and that was the last thing I wanted.

Man, I really needed a drink. I had heard of vampires going mad for lack of food, but had never thought it would happen to me.

Well... I hadn't gone mad. Yet.

Marie was looking at me. I wished she wouldn't. It made me uncomfortable.

After a while of just sitting there, she stood with a sigh and walked to the bars, holding one in each hand and placing her face in between them.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She was still as far away from me, but... I wasn't very fond of her moving. It reminded me of the graceful movements of a deer and I didn't need to think about..

_Stop thinking. Stop thinking._

She looked at me.

"I'm standing," she placed her cheeks back on the bars, "It's better than sitting and doing nothing."

"I wish I had the strength to do otherwise," I thought out loud.

She looked confused.

"Of course you can. Stand up!" she said, walking over toward me. She tripped.

"Ow!" she sat back on her ankles and examined her palms which were cut open and bleeding.

I squeezed my eyes shut, clogging my nose. My entire body tensed for the spring as I tried to stop it.

I struggled with myself for a few minutes, trying to regain control.

"Are you..." Marie's voice caught me off guard, "You're... thirsty aren't you?" I dared to open my eyes.

She had her palms pressed against her pants, concealing the blood.

I didn't answer her question. I just stared at her. Unsure of what to say.

"You..." she said in a small voice, "You are thirsty, aren't you?"

This time I nodded, slowly.

"If you want," she said looking at her palms, then me. "I could give you a little drink."

She lifted her palms, blood pouring from wounds made by the stone floor.

I sat staring at her and seeing nothing but her blood.

It was pouring, thick, out of her skin, calling the monster out of me.

I held him back for a moment then used his power to jump over her and break open the barred door into the cell.

At the same time, the door into the room busted open.

The three vampires before me took a quick survey of the surroundings. The two males pounced on me, the other, a female, went over to Marie and crouched before her, protectively.

I struggled, blind with hunger, but they were persistent and pinned me to the ground on my stomach. One of them was on each of my shoulders and they had to work to stay there.

"You don't want that girl's blood." A familiar voice said with authority. Suddenly, the beast was tamed. I didn't want that girl's blood. Marie's blood.

I stopped struggling and rested my cheek on the stone floor.

I allowed my body to relax. I went limp.

The two males slowly released me, but stood between me and Marie.

I stood and looked at them. They looked familiar.

When my eyes were unclouded by the thirst, I recognized them clearer than day. But with the absence of the thirst, came the absence of my strength.

I fell to my knees, then I was back on the stone floor with my cheek pressed against it.

"Shit, man. He must not have eaten in weeks!" Liam's voice said as he and Mira rushed over to me.

"I haven't," I said just loud enough for them to hear me, "The Volturi caught me while I was hunting. I didn't get a chance to finish."

Liam swore again. Brenden joined them.

"You know," Mira's voice accused, "We're still very angry at you for leaving us."

"Yeah, well," I said, "I'm pretty sure you didn't just bust me out to get your revenge. Help me up."

Brenden and Liam each grabbed a shoulder and elbow and lifted me to my feet. I barely had the energy to stand.

I was about a foot and a half shorter that Brenden, two feet shorter than Liam. Mira and I were the same height.

"Mira," I said, not looking at Marie, "Please clean her palms. They about killed her."

"And why should I take orders from you?" was her reply, "You left us, remember."

"Alright, fine," I said, I didn't want to argue right now, "Brenden, you're still fast, right?"

He smirked and nodded. He could run twice as fast as the average vampire.

"Do you think you could take Marie ahead of me?" He looked confused.

"Why?" he asked. I sighed before answering.

"Because," I said, hating myself for the reason, "the thought of her blood is the only thing that can give me the strength to get out of here." I was so ashamed of my vulnerability. "Unless you want to carry us both, it's the only way."

They looked at me as I struggled to remain standing. After a few seconds, I gave up and plopped down on the wooden floor, refusing to breathe.

I looked up at the three people who had been faithful to me no matter the circumstances.

They stared back, unsure. Only Liam didn't falter. He had always been like a big puppy. Following me around and helping when I needed it.

If he could have found a way to get both Marie and I out of Volterra by himself, he probably would have.

Brenden looked at me for a second longer, then sighed, and with a nod said, "Alright. I'll do it."

Mira was looking at me as though I had betrayed her trust. Which I had. I would apologize for that later. Right now, I was in need of a jail break.

"What can I do, boss?" Liam asked.

"What you always do, Liam," I answered, "Save me from trouble."

He smiled and shook his head at me.

"Alright," Brenden said, clapping his hands softly together, "So I'm carrying the girl and they're...?"

"Stopping me from killing her when we're far away from Volterra," I simply stated, "Can you guys do that?" I asked.

"I guess," Mira said reluctantly.

"Sure can, boss," Liam smiled at me.

I was so glad to see them. One more second and Marie was dead. I prepared myself.

"Okay, then," Brenden said, "Excuse me, my lady, but would you please oblige me by getting on my back?" Marie walked forward, towards Brenden. I walked back away from her.

"Whoa, those hands look bad. Mira, please clean them out. They could very easily get infected," Brenden had been examining her palms.

"Because _you_ asked, Brenden," Mira said, looking at me.

She walked forward, bending the water to clean out the minor cuts on Marie's hand. I heard her whimper a little when the water touched the nerves of the deeper wounds.

I wanted nothing more than to attack Mira when that happened, but I restrained.

"All done," Mira said.

"Get on," Brenden said.

Liam ran ahead to make sure we would encounter nothing to slow our progress too much. He sped back.

"We're clear," he said.

"Alright," Brenden said, "My lady, forgive us for what you're about to see," He turned to me, "Go, Colin."

I inhaled.

The smell of her blood was overwhelming. My instinct was to fight the monster rising up, but this time I allowed him to send bouts of strength through me.

"Run!" I screamed. The great chase began.

He stayed ten feet in front of me, checking and adjusting all the while. I let my thirst take over, and it guided me quickly toward the surface. When we passed anyone, Liam's whispers made them turn away, forgetting about us.

We reached the surface and Brenden jumped to the top of the city wall, then down on the other side. I followed with Mira and Liam close behind. We ran across fields until we got to trees.

Brenden yelled, "Now!" and Mira and Liam were on top of me, pressing me to the ground, once again.

Their voices buzzed overhead. Brenden started running back towards Volterra, Mira followed him.

Liam let me go. I got up, intent on running to wherever they took Marie.

Brenden knocked me onto my back.

I rose and tried. Knocked onto my back.

This repeated several times, until a new smell entered the ruff.

A herd of deer was passing.

Abandoning Marie's fading scent, I jumped into the herd's midst and within seconds had drunk my fill.

When I walked back to the three and Maire my head drooped. I looked down, shamefaced.

"Dude," Liam said, "Don't sweat it." I looked up. "I couldn't go two weeks without blood and you're going a month and expecting yourself to _not_ want to drink her veins dry, no offense," Liam said to Maire. She didn't say anything, "I don't blame you."

"Thanks, but still," I said, "It would have been unforgivable to have killed her. After all the work I've done."

"Yeah, you're right," Mira said, "You know, you really suck. How dare you even _consider _drinking human blood after a month of nothing," She shook her head in mock disappointment, "I'm ashamed of you."

There was silence for a moment, then we all busted out laughing.

I knew not all was forgiven, but I was oddly pleased to be back with my old coven again. They were great at getting me out of trouble and lightening my mood.

Now if I could only get Marie to forgive me for almost killing her.

I turned toward her and approached.

This wasn't going to be easy.

**Yippee!! Another chapter done!! Sorry for not writing sooner, I was just so busy with life that I hadn't the time to sit down at the computer.**

**That's all for now!**

**Check out my Eragon fanfic, "Silver Wings"**

**It's a great story even if you haven't read the books. **


	10. Change

**Not Meyer.**

Marie cowered away from me, obviously terrified. I stopped. There was no way I was going to convince her I wasn't a monster and even if I did, I'd be lying.

So I turned, walked over to my old coven, and did something I'd never done before. I got on one knee and bowed before them.

"Colin," Mira said, "What are you doing?"

"I would like to thank you," I said, "and ask your forgiveness for leaving." They all looked shocked... a bit too shocked.

"I know I've been a terrible friend. I left without warning because I had a plan to destroy the Volturi, that I did not complete, and I didn't want you caught up in the mess it would have gotten me in."

Their eyes widened. They weren't looking at me.

"What-" warm arms encircled my waist. My eyes grew large with shock as I looked down at the little girl hanging onto me, tears streaming down her face.

Words failed me.

"Colin." was all she said, but it struck a chord in me I didn't know I had. My three friends shrunk into the shadows.

I turned and sat on the ground. Marie jumped into my lap and sobbed into my chest. I was suddenly sad, looking at her. I felt a tear stream down my face.

Shocked, I stopped it with my finger and looked at it.

It was a tear. A real, salty tear. My breathing suddenly quickened. I found myself in need of air.

Liam rushed out and grabbed Marie from my arms. I was too shocked to react.

A bolt of lightning ice hit my body. Filling me with pain unknown to me. I fell over, on my side. From somewhere far away, I heard Marie scream my name.

Another chill swept over me, I could suddenly feel the frigid ground beneath my back. A thousand needles pierced my body. This pain was too much.

I screamed in agony, then everything went black.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo!! What happened to Colin?**

**Review with your best guess!**


	11. Human

**I'm not Meyer, but I came up with the concept of Colin. Or rather, he revealed himself to me... on his own terms, of course. And, yes I know what's going on and not just making this stuff up as I'm getting to it. This is really what happenes.**

**-Seven years later-**

"Happy birthday, to you!" Everyone in Buddy's Bar screamed the last note.

"Blow out the candles, birthday boy!" the person next to the him shouted drunkenly.

The man took a deep breath then blew out the twenty-one candles on the cake.

Everyone yelled in unison. The man rolled his eyes.

"You know, Dax," the man said, "If you could get drunk _when _the party started and not before it... you might be able to enjoy it longer and not have so bad of a hangover in the morning."

Dax looked at the man, dully.

"I really didn't get most of that, Colin," he said. Colin rolled his eyes again and stood up, revealing a broad chest stretching a gray wife-beater and nicely-fitting, dark jeans. His coal-black eyes sparkled beneath his equally dark, cropped hair.

"Lets get this party started!" He yelled to his bar-mates. They answered with whoops and hollers. "Bring out the beer!"

* * *

_'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars  
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars,_

Colin groaned into his pillow, then raised his head and grabbed his cell phone off his bedside table. He opened it up and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" He said groggily.

"Colin?" A female voice asked.

"Lisa?" Colin said straightening up with an excited look.

"Yeah!" She said, "Happy late birthday!"

"Aw, thanks, baby," he said with a smile. Next to him, Dax rolled over and off the bed with a loud thump. Stifling a laugh, Colin looked over at the floor just as a rumbling snore came from his friend's mouth.

"Yeah, I tried to call you last night, but you didn't pick up the phone the first two times, so I figured you were out partying or something."

"Yeah, that's about right. Hey could you hold on a second? I have a hangover to cure."

"Sure." He set the phone back on the table and got himself out of bed.

He walked to the kitchen and got out a two liter of water and aspirin from the bathroom.

After swallowing the aspirin, he chugged the water in thirty seconds with one break for air. After that had settled, he walked back to the bedroom, kicking the sleeping Dax to wake, grabbed the phone from the table, and walked into the the living room, neighboring the kitchen, and plopped on the couch.

"I'm back," He stated.

"Alright," She said. Colin watched as Dax stumbled into the bathroom then listened with amusement as he proceeded to pee for a minute and a half- Colin was timing.

When he came back out, he had the aspirin bottle in his hand. He looked at Colin dully.

"New record," he whispered with the phone away from his mouth. Dax then proceeded to get out another two liter of water and went through the same ritual as Colin had.

"- was thinking that maybe we could hang out tonight and celebrate," Lisa was saying.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Where we going?"

"Um, I was thinking we could go to the park on College Avenue. I hear it's alright."

"Man, that's on the other side of town."

"I could pick you up. You still live on the corner of Sundance and Royal Crest drives, right?"

"I'm here until I graduate Great Basin, then I'm out of Elko for good," He said, leaning back against the cushion, "bye-bye Nevada."

Lisa giggled on the other side of the line.

"But you're taking me with you, right?"

"Maybay," He joked, getting another giggle, "Love you, babe. See you tonight."

"What time?"

"Um, seven."

"Kay. I love you."

"Bye."

"Was that Jennifer?" Dax asked.

"Naw, Lisa."

"Whatever," he said, rubbing his rump then going to get dressed, "You running off the alcohol with me?"

"Yep." he stood and followed Dax into the bedroom.

* * *

Lisa was at the door at seven sharp. Colin was hurriedly pulling a button-up shirt over his broad chest. He buttoned it, then bent down to get his shoes. A rip resounded through the room. Colin cursed and removed the ruined shirt. It had been too small anyway.

He pulled on a white wife-beater and checked in the mirror. That would have to do. He rushed to the door with a college sweatshirt hanging over his arm and his lucky necklace around his neck.

"Hey, beautiful," said, leaning and giving Lisa a peck on the lips. She stared up at him with an odd smile on her face.

"We going, handsome?"

"You bet." With that, they hopped into the car.

They drove north up Sundance Drive, then turned south on 225.

"How's Dax been?" Colin grinned.

"Oh, you know Dax," He said, "He gets up with a hangover, drinks it away, and still has the juice to graduate college. He's my idol."

They turned right onto highway 80.

"I couldn't do it," Lisa said, "I can get drunk on Saturday night and still not be recovered by Wednesday."

"I can recover by the next morning, but I drink about half as much as Dax. He's truly incredible. He's gonna have major liver problems when he gets older."

"Yeah."

"May I?" Colin asked, gesturing towards the radio.

"Go ahead." He turned it to his favorite channel and pumped the volume to a comfortable level. Not blow-your-ears-off loud.

It was Canon, played by Funtwo. The violins were just starting out. The melody started, then Funtwo came in with his guitar. It stayed beautiful for a moment longer, then we were jamming to his tripped out golden guitar.

We jammed until we turned onto Golfcourse road, then into the park.

"Main City Park. How original." Colin commented.

He reluctantly turned Funtwo off and jumped out of the car, meeting Lisa and grabbing her hand.

"I go where you go," she said.

"I won't misguide you then."

* * *

It was eight-thirty.

"Oh," Lisa cursed.

"What is it?"

"I have to go drop something off by the school. I was supposed to do it today, but I got sidetracked. I need to run to my apartment then I can drop it off on the way back here," She looked at him, "This may sound really rude, but it's for a private thing that only a few people can know about, so could you stay here?" she bit her lip.

"Sure. No prob," He said, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head.

"I'm really sorry," she said, "I'll be back here so soon, you won't have time to miss me."

She bent down and bestowed a kiss on his lips then left.

He just lay there for the longest time, watching clouds drift across the blood-red sky.

Then a bloodcurdling scream resounded from the Rail yard.

**For those of you who are curious, Elka, Naveda is a real place and all these places I'm talking about are real as well. Check if you don't believe me. **

**And the reference to the song Canon, played by funtwo, it's an actual song on youtube that, I think, will be famous in seven years and playing on the radio.**

**As for the cliffy... it won't last very long. I'm really excited to write the next few chapters and post them. So, no worries.**

**Who is screaming? Why? Review with your best guess even if the next chapter is posted. I want to know, people! **

**Those who review with a guess will get a hug from Alice. (if you don't like Alice, I'll give you a conveniently misplaced chocolate chip cookie instead).**

**I love all who read this!!**


	12. Bloodstained

**Colin's POV**

I jumped up and ran across the highway separating me from the tortured voice, not bothering to look either way. But there were no cars screaming over the pavement. Silence enveloped me, body and mind.

I felt an odd sensation creeping into me. It was a numbness. A numbness filled with fear. Something about that scream had triggered something in me.

I _had_ to find her.

I rushed through the rail yard, dodging the remnants of the train station.

I heard a quiet moan. My head jerked to the left. I dashed after the sound.

What I came upon was unexplainable.

A boy, about twelve to the eye, was bent over the tense, convulsing body of a seventeen year old girl. When I approached, the boy looked up, baring blood-stained teeth at me.

He eyes were as red as the blood pouring from the girl's neck.

"Hey, you!" I screamed at him, "Get away from her!" I ran closer.

He looked at me with fear and wonder in his eye. Then he was gone.

He just disappeared. The girl's head banged against the gravel. I pulled out me cell phone as I rushed to her side. Blood stained her fair hair and skin.

"Yes," I said to the police officer who answered, "I found a female, about seventeen, in the rail yard. Her neck is bleeding profusely and she appears to have a broken wrist. I need medical assistance. Now."

I stood there, watching the ambulance drive away. I looked at my blood-stained undershirt and jeans. My hands were covered with the sticky, substance, black in the night.

I thought. What was I going to do? What did she mean?

"I forgive him," she had said, "Tell him I forgive him."

Was I supposed to track down her attempted killer to tell him that she forgave him? I was pretty sure that pursuing a murderer was asking for your own death.

But what could I do. Something about that girl made me think. Even her smell was oddly comforting. I couldn't understand what it was, but I just couldn't go back to being me after this.

So I decided. I was leaving. I was taking a permanent road trip. Take me where it may, the open road had never led me astray.

I started my long trek to Dax's and my house on the other side of town, staying to the shadows. Trying not to be seen. I knew I shouldn't be see with blood-stained clothes. There were enough people who didn't trust me without them thinking I was a mass murderer.

As I was walking, an image popped into my head. _**There was a blond girl, so much like the one I had just saved, only she was healthy and younger. We were sitting on the ground, on a dirt floor. **_

_**On three sides, solid stone enveloped us, on one side, bars kept us from the world. I felt that strange fear as I looked at her. **_

_**She was wrapped in herself and looked scared. I felt unsure**_.

_**Um.**_

"_**Are you alright?" I whispered.**_

_**She turned sharply around, fear in her jade eyes. When they landed on me, they softened and she smiled, ever so slightly.**_

_**She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and nodded, then shook her head.**_

"_**I hurt."**_

_**It was put so simply, I didn't know how to respond.**_

_**I stared at her.**_

"_**Where does it hurt?" the words came out of my mouth unbidden, but I couldn't take them back.**_

"_**Here," she pointed at her chest and sobs wracked her body again.**_

"_**I feel so alone," she said, faced away from me, "My heart feels empty." She hiccuped.**_

_**I wanted to comfort her. Tell her everything would be alright.**_

_**But I couldn't.**_

And I couldn't remember why.

I was sure that I had never been in a jail cell with that girl. I had never even seen that jail cell.

I hadn't once left the country. I had barely traveled across two states.

I hadn't gotten locked up yet.

I didn't plan on it happening tonight.

So I walked.

I walked into the dark house, not bothering to turn on the lights. I walked automatically to the bathroom and turned on the hot water.

While it was warming up, I walked into the kitchen and cracked open a beer from the fridge. I tilted it against my mouth and let the stinging liquid fill my mouth and course down my throat.

I winced slightly. The weak liquid provided little comfort from the image of the girl in my mind. The smell of her blood.

I shook my head and took another drink. It didn't help.

I threw it into the wall next to me. It shattered, the drink coating the wall with liquid and staining the air with it's disgusting smell.

I walked back into the bathroom, flicked one light on, and climbed behind the shower curtain, fully dressed. I stepped under the scalding liquid.

The water turned red as it sank down the drain. I let the water run over my entire body, trying to burn off the impurity I felt.

I stripped my shirt off, over my head, throwing it as far away as I could in the cramped space in the shower. I unbuckled my pants and just let everything fall to the ground. I kicked them out of my way.

I scrubbed my entire body until it was red and sore... but I didn't feel any better.

I grabbed the faucet and just soaked under the never-ending stream of fire water. I still couldn't get that girl off my mind.

_**I was escorted into a room with an assortment of people in it. But there were only two that caught my attention.**_

_**A man, standing in the middle, and the little girl with jade eyes. She was looking at me and I couldn't look away. We stood there, just staring at each other, when the man interrupted our gazing with a single word.**_

"_**Marie."**_

"Maire," I muttered, water coursing into my mouth, I drank it happily.

I was finally refreshed.

**A/N - Okay, so for those of you who are confused, Colin has no memory of what happened before he changed back into a human. None. Zip. Zap. Zoe.**

**So, he also has no memory of Maire. But now he's getting some of his memories back. What's that going to do? What will he remember? **

**Sorry about the wait. I was at writing camp all week from six to six, then I had to come back and work, so... yeah, I've been a little busy.**

**And I officially have to change this story from T to M because of Colin's bad behavior in this chapter. Don't think it's a bad thing. I'm not going to start having sex scenes or anything like that, so don't worry.**

**I'm a good girl. Colin has just decided that he's a bad boy and I'm not quite sure if I'm liking it.**

**And, yes. Colin is human.**


	13. Memories

Marie's name ran through my mind as I packed clothes and a few other necessities into a suitcase. I slammed it shut and started heading out the door. I paused when I saw my cell phone, but left it. I didn't want to be troubled by the past.

_**I was running from him. He was a scary man. He wanted to hurt me. He had bitten me and now my arm burned. **_

_**I don't know what to do. It hurts! I can't run anymore. I fall to the ground. Cold arms pick me up and take me away from here. **_

_**I feel a bed under me. The pain doesn't stop. I scream all the time. **_

_**Then it slows down. Then stops. I open my eyes and see a man with yellow eyes standing over me.**_

"_**How old are you?" He askes. I think. What did mommy tell me?**_

"_**Umm... Three!" I said holding up three fingers. I notice something different about them. They're not as fat as they were. **_

_**I see myself in a mirror and breathe in really quickly. That doesn't look like me!**_

I was on the floor. Sweating, convulsing. My breathing came in gasps. What _was_ that?

That couldn't have been me! I didn't remember any of that! I had never even seen that room before.

What were these... memories?

I got up and walked out to my old car. The engine roared to life as I threw my bag into the passenger's seat. I pressed the accelerator down and I was off.

Away from this odd place. This place of memories.

I would not come back.

**For those of you who are confused... I know. It's confusing. I, myself was very confused when Colin started telling me about all these weird memories he was having, but once he explained I was all cool.**

**So... Where are these memories coming from? Who's are they? What are they? Where is he going? Who will he meet? Will they get along, or fight? **

**What happened to the Cullens, Bella, and Jacob in the seven years he's been human? Is Jacob still a wolf? Is Bella a vampire? Are any of the Cullens dead?**

**What ever shall happen?**

**I know this chapter is extremely short, but it covers a lot and sets everything up quite nicely.**


	14. Ironic

**Not Stephanie Meyer.**

I had a routine. Sleep during the day, drive at night. I missed all the traffic, but it was hard to find food places that were open all hours of the night. I was stuck with Taco Bell most of the time.

_If only I had to eat once every few weeks._ A memory of a time when I had gone a month without food threatened to creep up. I dropped the thought.

"Welcome to Taco Bell. May I take your order please?" The mechanical voice asked.

"Yes, I'd like a number seven with extra sour cream please."

"That'd be nine fifty at the first window."

"Yah, yah. Whatever." I said as I rolled up the window, then realized that I still needed to pay and get my food. I rolled it back down and got a ten dollar bill out of my wallet.

Fifty dollars left. My old job didn't pay enough. That would get me through another day at the most. Then I'd be stuck wherever that landed me or I'd have to hitchhike and last time I tried that, I was picked up by some rapist and his gang. I was lucky that time.

My mom found out where I was. But mom wasn't here! No. Mom was no longer part of my life. I had move to Elko to ensure that. Ever since Garrett died they hadn't looked at me the same. It was as though they thought it was my fault.

Ah, well.

"Fifty cents is your change." As I handed over my precious ten, then, "Thank you have a great day!" As they gave me my food... without the extra sour cream.

Ah, well. I pulled back onto the highway and took the ramp onto whatever interstate I was on. North something.

I drove along for a while, looking tiredly at the horizon. It was boringly dark. The reflectors between the white lines on the middle of the highway created a perfect line that disappeared as soon as I passed.

There were no cars on the highway tonight. The only sound I heard was the soft hum of my tires against the pavement and the angry roar of my old engine.

I unwrapped my taco and started to eat and drive at the same time. I set it down from a minute and looked around.

To my right, about a hundred yards away was a forest. As I watched, a gigantic wolf ran, uncannily fast, out of the dark trees and in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes, but still hit the wolf. It went flying. When the car stopped, I got out at ran over to the dog.

I looked at where he had come out of the woods. In front of the forestry, seven hooded figures stood, motionless. By what was visible of them, I could tell that their skin was ghostly white. Their eyes glowed red in the moonlight.

A new kind of numbness came over me. I stepped between the wolf and the pale creatures and crouched, poised for a fight.

Surprise radiated from them. One of the smaller ones ran up the the one in front, who was the smallest of them all, and whispered in her ear. They conversed quietly and quickly.

"Colin?" The girl in front asked loud enough for me to hear. Her voice held hesitant surprise and a bit of fear.

"Yes," I said. She stepped back as though I had hit her. Then turned and fled into the forest. The others followed quickly.

The wolf stirred. I turned.

The wolf was gone. In its place was a man laying face down, completely nude on the blacktop.

I jumped in surprised, then shook my head and looked again. He was still there. Okay. So...

I need something to cover him up with.

I ran back to my car and grabbed my blanket. I threw it over his nakedness and felt much better now that he wasn't so... revealed.

He sighed, opened his eyes, saw me, and jumped up. Luckily, the blanket stayed with him. He grabbed it just as it was about to fall away from him and wrapped it around his waist. His eyes darted to the forest.

"They're gone." I said. He looked at me.

"What do you mean?" His skin was darker than mine, his hair was darker than the night as were his eyes. He looked to be about six inches taller than me. I stood and found that assumption to be fact.

"You ran out of the forest, I hit you," I explained, skipping over the part where he was a wolf when that happened, "I got out of my car and went to see if you were all right and they came out of the forest."

I tried to explain what had happened next, "There were seven of them. All of them were hooded and deathly white. They looked at you like they wanted to kill you, so I got in their way."

His eyes widened when I said this. He looked at me as though I were insane and shouldn't be alive.

"To make a long story short, they ran away. From what I don't know." I was just as confused as he looked.

"I would offer you a ride to wherever it is you're going, but my car was just hit by a gigantic wolf and I doubt that it will run. It only had a day's worth of driving left to it anyways, so I didn't lose much."

"Why?" he said, looking back at the trees.

"Because I don't have enough money to fill it up much longer." I said. He looked at me as though that wasn't what he was asking about, but shrugged and said.

"If I can fix it and fill it up with gas, will you take me to wherever you're going?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. If he was going to pay for my useless wanderings, I'd do whatever he said, "But I have to warn you," he looked at me suspiciously, "I don't really have a destination in mind."

He smiled, "Then how about we go to my old hometown?"

"Where would that be."

"Forks." the air was knocked out of my lungs. I fell to the ground. Everything went black.

_**Forks. The perfect place. **_

_**A meadow, where I met a pale female with yellow eyes. We talked about her family.**_

_**A clearing where I was surrounded by gigantic wolves. Werewolves. I knelt before them, hoping they wouldn't kill me. I knew they desperately wanted to. **_

_**One of them hated me more than the others. Jacob. He attacked me. Bella. We fought. The Cullens. I ran. The Volturi. I was captured. Maire.**_

When I woke up, shaking, in a cold sweat, in the grass next to my car, the sun was rising. I looked up and saw a guy bent over my car's engine.

He lifted his head and looked at me. It looked as though he had done so frequently for a while now.

"Good," He said walking over to me, "You awake." I shivered and looked at him. He was wearing a pair of my too-big shorts and one of my black undershirts.

"I wouldn't call that good." I said, then pointed at my clothes.

"I borrowed them," he said, looking down at them, "I figured it'd look weird if I were working on your car with a blanket wrapped around my waist and you laying on the ground. So I put on some clothes. I hope you don't mind."

"Nope." I shivered, "Right now I'm cool with anything you do as long as you get that car started and get me warm." He laughed. He seemed like a happy guy. I don't know why, but I felt oddly suspicious of him. Oh, wait. He was the dude who had turned into a wolf.

"The name's Colin," I said. I looked at me oddly.

"Jacob." _**One who hated me more than the others.**_

"No way," I laughed, slaphappy, "Oh my goodness, is this not ironic." I walked over to my car.

"So you're from Forks."

"Yes," he said hesitantly.

"And you're name's Jacob."

"Yes," he answered slowly.

"Tell me, Jacob," I said smiling. I don't know why I was smiling, I didn't feel happy. I guess I was just laughing to keep myself from going crazy, "are you acquainted with someone named Bella?"

His eyes hardened, "I knew her."

"And would you happen to know a family called the Cullens?" His eyes got even harder and angry.

"We've met."

I laughed. Then started crying. Not bawling. Silent tears crept down my cheeks and I fell to the ground and put my head in my hands.

"How do I know this?" I whispered to myself, "How many other things do I know?" I looked up at Jacob.

"Dearest werewolf, I believe I am starting to question my sanity." I shook my head and looked up at the pink sky. After an awkward silence, Jacob started working on the engine again.

He occasionally tried to start it. When it didn't he went back to his work. Finally, the engine roared to life. I stood from my patch of wet grass and got into the passenger's side.

Jacob shut the hood and climbed in the drivers side. We were off. To a place I had never been, but knew none the less.

**Oh! What now!! Third chapter in a day! (does little dance)**

**Well. I must admit that this chapter did not turn out exactly as I had originally planned it to, but it will work. **

**Man, are you shocked or what? I know I am. I had absolutely no idea that vampires were after Jacob, and there they are!! **

**No. I seriously didn't know that vampires were after Jacob. Originally... Colin's car broke down on a side road and Jacob came to the rescue. Wow this was much more exciting. **

**I also didn't know that Colin was going to have that flashback. Complete surprise. **

**Have you figured it out yet? Why is Colin having these flashbacks? Review with your best guess!!**


	15. The Pack

**I am currently not Stephanie Meyer, but I am working on a genetic manipulation device that will magically transform me into her! Giving me the rights to all of her characters!! MWAAHAAHAAHAAHAA!!**

Forks.

It felt oddly familiar. And I felt a strange uneasiness as we crossed into the town's borders. We passed a high school with teens filing out of the doors and into the parking lot. I looked at the clock. Three PM. School's out.

The cluster of buildings seemed oddly familiar. The pavement had been recently redone, the buildings re-roofed, but I felt like I had been here before. I knew I had been here before.

We passed a wildlife equipment store. My eyes lingered on the familiar landscape.

We were coming upon a gravel road.

"Stop!" I screamed. Jacob slammed on the brakes. I opened the car door and rushed through the pouring rain. I ran over the gravel until I got to a barely-visible driveway. I slowed to a walk as I walked up it.

The yard was overgrown, the grass waist-height. I waded up a bit to a tree. I hid behind it, looking at the house in the middle of the green sea. The past re-played itself.

I saw an odd-smelling human girl get out of her old red truck and walk up to the front door. She knocked and, almost immediately, the door opened.

A vampire came out. His topaz eyes found hers and fell in love with them.

They spoke and I caught one word.

"Graduation."

"What?" Jacob was right behind me, looking at the house with repulsion. I studied his expression with curiosity.

"Vampires lived here," I said, looking back at the house.

"The Cullens," he spat back.

"Did Bella drive an old red truck?" Jacob looked at me, shocked.

"How did you know that?" I glanced at him then looked back at the house. I waded through the green sea to the front door. It was unlocked.

I turned the nob and walked in, flipping up the light switch.

I sensed Jacob behind me. I walked through the rooms. All were filled with furniture covered in large white sheets.

I uncovered a piano. A beautiful baby grand. The keys were perfectly polished. I draped the sheet back over it.

I walked up the stairs and entered the bedrooms, one by one. Everything was left. Nothing valuable had been taken.

I explored diligently. I was curious. Everything held a very interesting air to me. Why? I couldn't tell you.

"How many Cullens were there?" I asked Jacob who was looking around with disgust.

"Seven," he said.

"Were they the ones chasing you when I hit you?"

"No," he said, shaking his head, "I didn't know the vampires who were chasing me."

I abruptly turned and left the house, being careful to leave everything as it was.

I shut the door and waded back through the waist-high grass to the gravel road. I got into the car, now soaking wet. Jacob soon followed my lead.

We drove on.

We passed trees. Everything here was green. A bit too green.

Houses started to become more frequent. We pulled onto a dirt road and, eventually, into a driveway. Before us was a quaint little house that wasn't the best cared for, but seemed to radiate happiness.

Jacob got out, with an odd mixture of happiness and dread written all over his face.

I followed suit, but instead adopted a 'whatever' attitude. We approached the door and Jacob knocked.

"Don't stare at Emily's face," he said moments before a girl opened the door.

"Hello," the little girl said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jacob Black and this is Colin-" he looked at me.

"Searcy," I answered. Jacob looked back at the girl.

"What's your name?" he asked kindly.

"Claire," she said, swaying from side to side.

"Who is it Claire?" A deep voice rumbled. Jacob smiled widely.

"Who else, Quil?" he called back. A shocked silence filled the house for a spell, then the sound of many chairs scraping across the floor and feet rushing to the door erupted.

Nine guys and one girl rushed to the door. I felt a bit intimidated. They were all around the same size a Jake.

Wide smiles pulled at all the dark faces. At least I wasn't blond and blue-eyed. Then I'd feel really out of place.

"Jake!" They yelled and pulled him into the house. I squeezed in just before the door slammed shut. I felt oddly scared. I slid to a sitting position against the wall, trying to disappear. They had pulled up an extra chair and were now talking quite loudly across the mountains of food.

Little Claire walked up next to the seat of one of them, tapping his shoulder. He looked lovingly down at her. She beckoned him closer and whispered something in his ear, looking and pointing at me. He looked up in shock at my huddled form next to the door and raised his arms into the air to get everyone's attention.

The room quieted.

"I believe we have another guest that we've most rudely neglected," he announced.

"This is Colin Searcy," Jake said getting up and introducing me, "He hit me with his car, then saved me from some bloodsuckers." There was a slightly shocked silence that followed this statement.

"What bloodsuckers?" the second-biggest one asked. He obviously held authority over them all, "Sam, by the way," he added, looking at me. His eyes darted back to Jacob.

"I don't know," Jake answered, "There were seven of them, but they weren't the Cullens," he said when everyone around the table jumped to that conclusion.

I stood and walked over to the wall behind the table. There was no more room around it, I didn't even ask.

"What did they look like, Colin?" Sam asked me.

"They were all hooded and cloaked in black. Their eyes were red," I said.

"If they had red eyes, how did you get away alive?" one asked, "Quil," he answered my questioning eyes.

"Well, I hit Jake and he went flying, unconscious. I rushed over to him to make sure he was alright when I noticed the seven of them standing in front of the trees. I stood between them and Jacob and one of the smaller ones ran to the one in the front.

"She asked if I was Colin and I said yes-"

"Wait," Sam asked, "They knew you?"

"I don't know." and I didn't.

Sam looked like he was going to ask another question when we were interrupted by a knock at the door.

All those at the table jumped up and snarled.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo!! Who's at the door?**


	16. Remembering

**I don't own Twilight... period.**

JPOV

I jumped up with the others, but with desperation.

"Wait!!" I screamed.

Could it be possible? Could it be true? Had I heard what I thought I'd heard?

Everyone had frozen, looking at me.

Paul said something, but I was too deep in myself to hear what it was. A desperate kind of hope, mingled with fear was coursing through my entire body as I listened. I tilted my head toward the door to hear better. Everyone in the room copied me. Colin looked confused, standing by the door.

Everyone heard it at the same time. I stumbled around the table, pushing my brothers who were stuck in place with shock. I rushed to the door, tripping over my own feet. I pushed Colin out of the way and opened the door.

CPOV

I went flying away from the door and onto the kitchen counter. I had jumped when the knock had come and shied away when everyone at the table had blurred out of their seats and growled with an animal's menace.

Then Jacob had screamed something. I hadn't heard what it was, but everyone had stopped and stared at him. Jacob had looked desperate.

"Jacob?" Paul had said, "You look like you've seen a ghost." Jacob hadn't heard him. He had listened and so had everyone else. Then everything went at a blurring speed.

Next thing I knew, I was pushed on top of the counter and the door was open. All I could see was the profile of Jacob's face. It turned from desperate to an inhuman tenderness.

"Renesmee," he whispered. There was a sigh from outside then a blur attacked Jacob. He stumbled back and I saw the back of a curly head. Renesmee's face was nuzzled deep into his chest.

Quiet sobs were wracking the girl's body.

"Jacob," she mumbled into his chest, "I'm sorry, I'm oh, so very sorry."

"Renesmee," was all Jacob could say. He said it over and over again, cooing it like it was the sweetest chocolate in the world. Renesmee pulled back and placed her hand to his face.

A blank stare fell over Jacob's face, like he was seeing something other than the room around him. Renesmee pushed her face back into his chest, but kept her hand on his face. After a few minutes, her hand dropped.

Jacob looked down at her lovingly. I was shocked by the amount of love conveyed in his eyes. I felt a sudden wave of jealousy that had nothing to do with Renesmee. I felt the need to pull them apart.

Why did I feel that way? A small movement caught my eye, and I turned back to look at the other wolves. Sam had put his arm around the waist of a girl half of whose face was scarred beyond recognition. Then my eyes were pulled to Quil, who picked Claire up and sat her on his hip, hugging her close. Paul pulled a girl that looked a little like Jacob into a soft kiss.

I felt something roll up from my throat. A harsh noise broke the still air. I looked around to find the source and found everyone staring at me. Jacob had moved Renesmee behind him. The others had followed suit. Then I realized I wasn't sitting on the counter anymore.

I was in a crouch, poised for attack. A memory hit me so quickly, that I felt myself fall.

_I was sitting in a small clearing, surrounded by ten gigantic wolves. I had knelt in the center and now a man in ragged shorts was standing in front of me._

"_Why don't you fight?" he said. _It was Sam!

"_Well," I said, "There are ten of you and one of me. If there were less," I let loose a smirk, "it would be a different story."_

_A growl came from my right. I turned to look at the russet wolf _(Jacob?!) _and searched his mind for a reason behind his anger. _

_What I found was his, and the rest of the pack's thoughts. _

I skipped a bit, skimming over a fight between me and Jacob. I fled... and saw the girl. She was going to the house in the middle of a forest of grass.

"_Graduation."_

* * *

When I woke up, I was surrounded by huge, tanned faces. Their dark eyes, that looked so much the same, were staring down at me.

I felt around myself. I was laying on something soft; a couch. At least they hadn't killed me. Then I remembered why I was on the couch.

"What happened to Bella? And that vampire she was with? The one that lived in that big house in the middle of the woods? Edward?" All their expressions turned simultaneously into shock. The first to recover was Seth. I remembered him as the one who had fought with the bloodsucker- vampire, I corrected myself- to save Bella from the newborn coven.

"What?" he said. I tried to sit up, but almost blacked out, so I laid back down. After a few seconds, I sat back up, but more slowly this time. I looked around.

I was still in the werewolves' house. They were all around me. Near the back of the group, I saw Jacob, hugging his side was Renesmee. She was drinking what looked like thick red wine from a clear glass. She looked too young to drink.

I stood, cautiously. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I headed toward the door, trying to keep my desperation to get as far away from here as possible. And I was out of the door. I leaned against a nearby tree and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Their eyes boring into my back weren't helping.

Everything was coming back to me. I was Colin. But Searcy was _not_ my last name. I had forgotten it when I had turned human the second time. _What?_

That hadn't made any sense. Then my all mind's barrier's fell down. And I remembered everything.

I had been an immortal child.

At the age of three, a vampire had stolen me from my parents and made me someone like him, but my body wasn't old enough to cope with that. I was too young to survive, so my mind kept a portion of my body human, but I hadn't known that. My mind had broken into two pieces. There was what I was aware of and what my mind kept secret from me.

When my vampire family was caught and slaughtered, I was scared and crawled away to hide. I started sobbing and real tears had come out. I was shocked, then a wave of extreme cold hit me. I was turned back into a human over night and discovered, crying by a human family. My mind then hid all my memories from before that morning from me, pulling it behind the wall separating the two parts of my mind.

I had been changed into a vampire four times. Every single transformation, I had sobbed through entire ordeal, but no tears had come out. And all four times my mind had changed me back using tears as a catalyst for the transformation.

Something else that was odd was, all the vampires who changed me had a gift, and my mind would take that gift and twist it into a defensive weapon which became my gift, but every time I was turned back into a human, I forgot everything.

All of it was pulled behind a barrier that my mind had created. Why it was gone now, I couldn't understand. The onslaught of so many memories was overworking my mind. My brain couldn't take it all. It was rejecting the overload of memories. A part of my mind remembered that my currently human mind was incapable of holding the amount of information it was receiving.

I put my hands over my ears and pressed them closed, then realized that that wouldn't help.

I turned to the door, where the werewolves were congregated, looking at me with confusion and suspicion.

"Colin?" Jacob said, "What...?" He looked for the words to state his question, then gave up and looked around him, everyone else looked just as lost for words.

"Nothing." Oh, how far my words were from the truth.

"It'ss nothing," I said, "Nothing to worry about. Just a headache."

"Colin-" Jacob started.

"I'm fine," I said, "honest. I won't do anything like that ever again. I was just... " I gave up trying to explain and started walking down the driveway.

"I'm going to go for a walk, see the area, you know." No one tried to stop me.

I tried to walk, but it quickly turned into a run, then a sprint through the forest.

**A/N - Okay, so I now have this under control. I'm working on making it less confusing. I have it under control now. Thanks for your faith!!**


	17. They're Back

**A/N - Okay so, LONG wait for this one. Sorry for letting it get so ridiculous. I was crazy busy. Tell me what you think about this one. I can't know if you like it unless you tell me.**

Seth's POV

I jogged after the human Jacob had brought home with him because Jacob had told me to and he couldn't do it himself. He was too busy making goo goo eyes at Renesmee. Jeez, I was just as shocked as Jake to see her. We'd all thought she was dead. Her and Bella. Whatever reason they'd had for lying to us, it must have been really good. I knew the Cullens wouldn't do anything that cruel for no reason.

I was gaining on Colin. I slowed to closer to a human speed. He was still going all out, so I couldn't go all the way normal if I wanted to catch him. But I didn't want him to think I was chasing him either.

"Hey, Colin!" I yelled in his direction, "Slow down!" I heard his step falter a little when I first yelled, but when he figured out that I wasn't an immediate threat to his life, he slowed to an eventual stop.

We were about a mile and a half from the house. Man, could he run. And when I got to him, which wasn't too long after he stopped, his breath was only slightly accelerated. I stopped and walked the last bit to him, slightly less winded than he was.

He still had that crazy look he'd had back at Sam's. A mix between a wild animal being trapped in a cage and a dude who'd stayed up too late studying for an advanced college Chemistry exam.

But when he looked at me, it was like he looked right through me, right into my mind. It was crazy, but I kinda recognized him from somewhere that I couldn't quite remember. He looked at me like he wanted to cry. Our eyes were almost even. He was pretty tall.

"Hey, what was up with you?" I asked. I wasn't judging him with the question, just asking. He looked down, "I've never seen a human growl like that." He looked back up, into my eyes.

"And what kind of creature _have_ you seen crouch like that?" he asked back. He sounded like he already knew the answer, and it disgusted him. Like at the house, when he was walking out, he reminded me in a strange way of Edward, but with some sick twist that I couldn't identify.

"Well, I dunno," I said, a little untruthfully, "I've just never seen someone act like that." Then I remembered that he'd mentioned Bella and Edward as soon as he'd woken up.

"How'd you know about Bella?" I asked. He grimaced and crunched up his face, like he was getting a real extreme headache. He took a deep breath, then muttered to himself.

"Concentrate on one set of memories and the others won't overwhelm you, that's how we'll do it," his face immediately relaxed. I felt sort of intrusive. A human wouldn't have been able to hear that, "Man, vampire memories are vivid," I was shocked into silence, "Could I really see all that?" He opened his eyes. I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What?" I asked incredulously. He looked confused, "What did you just say about vampires?"

"Nothing," he said, immediately defensive. I shook my head, trying to clear it and get back on track.

"Alright, whatever," I said, "Anyway, how'd you know about Bella? And Edward?" I asked.

"And Alice, and Jasper," he was ticking them off on his fingers, "Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie." He finished on his second hand.

"The biggest coven I had ever encountered." I was shocked into silence once again. How did he know the Cullens? He turned and started pacing away from me.

"You know what?" he asked after a quick pivot back toward me. I shook my head, then automatically gave the witty response I'd come up with myself.

"But I know Who and When, and they're very nice people." he allowed himself a small laugh, but he still looked slightly crazy.

"No," he said, "I'm going to tell you everything," he said, "Because if I don't, my brain will explode." he said. He looked like he wasn't exaggerating. He stopped suddenly, and took a deep breath.

"Human," he said, "I'm human." He looked at me.

"Yeah, I know," I said. I could tell that.

"But I wasn't always human," he was still watching me.

"Right?" I was slightly confused.

"I'm a lot older than most vampires," he said, "And WAY older than any werewolf."

"Okay," I said, "You lost me."

"Seven years ago," I said, "Bella Swan and Edward Cullen graduated from Forks High School." I didn't try to figure out how he knew this. He said he was going to tell me, so I just waited to see where the heck this was going.

"Yes," I agreed.

"Okay," Colin said, "A few days before that, the werewolves found a vampire inside their border lines." I tried to think back to then, tried to remember.

"They found the vampire the day before you and Edward fought Victoria and Riley to save Bella up away from where the real fight was supposed to be going on." I remembered THAT part.

"The day before you almost killed Riley single-handedly."

"Okay, wait," I said. This was too weird. There was no one who knew this stuff outside of Forks and La Push. Who was this guy?

"Let me finish," he said, "The vampire you caught wasn't like the Volturi, or the Cullens. His eyes weren't red, gold, or black," I stared at him, remembering something, but something that was staying frustratingly in the dark.

"A vampire with white eyes," he said. _Click._

"He was surrounded by ten of you, all that made up the pack at that time," he said. I remembered. The fourteen-year-old vampire. When he'd shown up, I wasn't friends with the Cullens.

"Sam phased to talk to the vampire, but the vampire struck him to the ground with some invisible pain," he said.

**Colin's POV**

"_I_ then provoked and was attacked by Jacob, right after I plucked Bella and the Cullens out of his mind." Seth stared at me, shocked

"Do you remember?" I asked. He nodded.

"So you see," I said, speaking quickly now, "My mind had forgotten all that had happened there, but my body hadn't. So when I walked into Sam's house, I was scared out of my wits to be there, but I didn't understand it," my brow wrinkled, "Then when I saw Jacob and Remesmee, and the other couples..."

"I wanted to tear them apart. Wanted to ruin their happiness. I just-" realization crept around my mind along with a memory. A painful memory. A sad memory. A memory I had wanted to block from my mind before I was forced to.

When I was eight, I had been turned into a vampire for the second time. The vampire who had changed me had a daughter, and I was to be the daughter's present, she was a vampire as well. They had been turned when their village had been attacked by a hungry coven. His daughter had later told me that she would have been mad with her father for changing me-

"_Because it wasn't his choice to make," _her musical voice still rang in my ears_, "but the moment I saw you, I knew you were different," _here she had placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"_I fell in love with you right then and there," she said. I stared at her red eyes and saw my identical eyes reflected in them. My ragged hair stuck in all directions._

"_I love you too, Lily," I had said, "I was never mad at either of you. I just didn't understand what was happening." I looked deeper into her eyes, "and when I realized what had happened, I also realized that that meant I would be able to spend forever with you, and I couldn't be mad about that." _

Two days later, a rouge vampire group had attacked the destroyed village, and discovered us. We had all three run in different directions. I thought they hadn't seen any of us, but I was the only one they hadn't noticed. I heard Lily's screams as they tore her apart and burned her, but by the time I got there, the only thing I found was her smoldering ashes. I tried to track them, but couldn't keep up with their trail.

I had given up. After tracking them for a year and losing them again and again, I just fell to my knees and cried. Tears had come, and I had changed back, all my memories pulled behind my mind-barrier.

"Why did you want to tear them apart?" Seth asked, pulling my back to reality. I struggled to speak.

"Because I was jealous," I said, "I had love once, but it was stolen from me, and I guess I just didn't want to be reminded of that." I swallowed.

"Wait," Seth said, "How did you know about the mountain top and stuff. I thought you were gone after you met us in the forest."

"I just disappeared from the pack," I said, "I'm not suicidal, but the Cullens interested me. I was interested to see such a big coven. And one that didn't take human blood on top of that. The fact that one of them was infatuated with a human just interested me more." I thought for a second, "Did I just say infatuated?"

Colin looked up, then cracked up. He leaned against a tree to keep from falling over.

"Oh, man," he said, laughing. He abruptly stopped, listening. A soft howl pierced the air.

"We have to get back to the house," he said. He grabbed my arm and wrapped it over his shoulder and around his neck, so my feet were hanging a little off the off the ground, then he took off, faster then I had hope of keeping up with. I lopped my other arm over his other shoulder, and curled my legs up out of the way of his flashing legs. It was uncomfortable, but, at this rate, I knew I wouldn't have to hold it for long.

When we were in sight of the house, he unwrapped my arms from around his neck. Not expecting this, I fell to the ground with a thud. I heard a ripping sound, and when I looked up, a gigantic tan wolf was running toward the house.

I pulled myself up, and followed at a sprint. Running toward a place that housed ten plus werewolves had my adrenaline pumping, but I wasn't just going to sit out here on the ground.

I did have to go into the house, the werewolves, all in wolf form, where surrounding two male vampires with their hands up in surrender. Fear pulsed through me.

There were so many. Closer to twenty than ten. The bigger of the vampires caught my scent and turned toward me. His face was very familiar.

"Thank goodness," he said, "See Brenden. I told you. If he can escape the Voluri's grasp for seven years, a few wolves aren't going to phase him."

"Yeah, but they're going to 'phase' us." Brenden replied, "How _do_ you get us this deep into messes, Liam? Why do I let you?" he said, annoyed with himself.

All I could do was stare, open-mouthed.

"Well, it looks like your precious Colin isn't going to help us out of this one," Brenden said.

"Oh, yeah," Liam swore. His eyes were fixed on the biggest wolf, Jacob. Jacob let out a snarl and Liam jumped.

"Great, what're we going to do now?" Brenden asked. Liam bit his lower lip.

"Truthfully," he said, "I don't know."

"Why do I let you get me into these situations?" he asked again, "What is wrong with me?" Sam growled from the other end of the circle. Brenden and Liam pressed their backs closer together.

"Well," Brenden said, "at least we go down with a boom. And Mira will take good care of Colin... I think." They both settled into a crouch at the same time. The wolves' growls got louder as they settled lower to the ground, ready to spring.

I stumbled forward, toward them. Liam. Flipping through my memories, I realized that he had been the one to find me, human and suffering from intense amnesia, after my year of tracking Lily's killers.

And he hadn't left. He was there, every time I changed. Human to vampire, vampire to human, he had always been there, my friend and first coven member through everything. When I forgot and started over, he started over with me. Now I rushed forward.

I jumped into the middle of the circle of growling wolves, and threw my arms out wide, between Liam and Jacob.

"Sure, protect _him_," Brenden mumbled from behind me.

"Jacob," I said, "These guys are with me," I stared into his hard eyes, just as determined as he was.

"My rescuer!" Liam squealed from behind me.

"We're not quite rescued yet," Brenden said, "I'm pretty sure these wolves could take down all three easy." I was still staring at Jacob.

"Please," I whispered, desperate. The air shimmered around him and he was standing, shaking and naked in front of me.

"Man, put some clothes on," Brenden said.

"Shh," Liam hushed.

"Who are they?" Jacob asked. He was angry, I could tell. No time for anything but quick explanations.

"They're part of my coven." I said. He seemed to understand this. Seth must have filled him in when he'd gone wolf.

Jacob stopped shaking. He walked up to me and put a big hand on my shoulder, guiding my body out of the way. I went without resistance, but still prepared to jump back in the way if need be.

"What're your names?" Jacob asked them. Brenden was cowering behind Liam, who was just cowering.

"That's Liam, and he's Brenden," I said, when I realized they were too scared to talk.

"What are they doing here?" he asked me, keeping a wary eye on them.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. Liam seemed to decide something. He squared his shoulders.

"We've been tracking Colin since we sent him here from Italy," he said, "We weren't careful enough. The Volturi found him first. We heard word of his location from him, and tracked him by scent here." He finished by pointing at the ground front of him.

Jacob looked at Sam. The black wolf sighed, then shimmered into a human.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What do you want to do?" Jacob asked him.

"What do _you _want to do?" Sam asked back.

"I don't think we should hurt them," Jacob said. His statement was met by several growls, "Their eyes are the same color as the Cullen's, so they aren't a danger to anyone," he argued, "And if they wanted to do anything, they would've done it by now."

"I like him," Brenden whispered to Liam.

"Wait a second," Liam said, "Are you Jacob Black?" Jacob's head swiveled to look at him.

"Yes," he said warily.

"Would you happen to be the Jacob Black, the mate of Renesmee Cullen?" he asked. Jacob was looking more and more suspicious.

"Yes," he looked at Liam sideways. Liam now looked like he was hiding something.

"Well," he said, "that's just great!" he smiled up at him, "Wow, I just noticed that Colin is almost as tall as you. That makes you what," he looked at me, "Six three, six four?"

"Six five," I said, "What's up with Jacob? Why do you know all that?"

"Oh, well," Liam said, sheepishly looking down, "It's just that the Volturi are after him." One thing about Liam hadn't changed, his loyalty to me never wavered, and when I asked him something, he always told me the truth.

Even if I didn't want to hear it.

"What?" I was shocked into a whisper.

"That's the royal vampires in Italy, right?" Jacob asked, "Why are they after me?"

"To get to me," Renesmee's voice fluttered into our ears, shocking us all, "and my family."

"Yes," Liam said, "and the pack. If they capture Jacob, both the Cullens and the pack would be forced to submit to the Volturi's demands and orders."

"By catching Jacob, they gain the interesting Renesmee; Alice, Edward, and Bella would be forced to join the guard; and the pack would be forcibly moved to Italy to be the personal guard dogs of the Volturi," Brenden finished. Some of the wolves growled at that last statement, but Brenden took no notice. He seemed to be over his fear of them.

"Well," I said, looking at Renesmee, "I guess the Cullens are just as interesting as I thought they were."

"We're worse," Renesmee said with a giggle.

"She's right," Jacob said, "they're the weirdest bunch of vampires I've ever met."

**TA-DA!!!!**

**It turned out extra-long, which is good news. I've had these ideas festering in my head FOREVER, but just haven't had the time or the muse to sit down and write it!**

**Well, it's written now. I hope I don't have a suspiciously long leave of this story again. I _like_ my characters... and feel bad for leaving them.**

**Well, tell me what you think! Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Load em all on me.**


	18. The Cullens

**First off, I changed the end of the last chapter on 1/28/09.**

**NEXT CHAPTER!!!! and so soon. I'm excited.**

**No ownage.**

_CPOV_

Because I knew the vampires who had trespassed on wolf territory, and Liam and Brenden were ignorant of the treaty, they were allowed (with an escort) to cross back into vampire territory.

Our escort consisted of Sam, Jacob, Seth, Embry, Quil, and Renesmee. When we got to the treaty line, Sam and Quil dropped back, and an unfamiliar wolf, leaner than the rest, joined our group.

I could feel Liam and Brenden close beside me.

"Hey, Colin," Brenden asked, "How'd you recognize us? I thought your memory was wiped every time you went human." A stampede of memories trampled into my brain. I concentrated, trying to stop the onslaught.

When I became re-aware of my surroundings, I realized the party had stopped. All eyes were on me.

"Are you alright?" Liam asked. His brow was wrinkled with intense concern. He was, to the core, worried about me.

"I'll be fine," I said, though I wasn't sure if I ever could be. I didn't know what 'fine' was for me.

Liam must have seen through my pitifully human answer, but he didn't push it. The unwavering trust in my judgment showed itself again. I stifled the memories.

I realized rather late where we were going.

"Why are we going to the Cullen's house?" I asked. Jacob's wolfish head swiveled toward me, but it was Renesmee who spoke.

"Jacob has to tell Carlisle what happened right before he met you," she said.

"But why are _we_," I gestured toward me, Liam, and Brenden, "going to the Cullen's house?"

No one said anything. Renesmee twined her fingers through the hair between Jacob's shoulders.

When we arrived, the house was silent and looked almost abandoned. I assumed it had been, for some time, until recently.

The wolves disappeared into the trees around us, leaving me, Liam, and Brenden alone with Renesmee. Brenden physically sighed with relief. Renesmee skipped ahead of us and pushed the door open wide, gesturing for us to enter.

The room was empty, save some furniture and a grand piano. I sat cautiously on the couch. Liam placed himself on my right, Brenden on my left. A blond male slid gracefully down the stairs. As he descended, so did a layer of calm. I felt completely relaxed. Then an onslaught of memories woke me back up like a blade to my brain. I felt the blond's eyes flit toward me, and a stronger wave of calm wash over me again.

My brain heaved.

"Stop it," I growled, then jumped with shock at the harshness of my voice. Seven vampires followed him down the stairs. I felt some strange and uncomfortable- I struggled to find a word to match the sensation- _fingers_ prod at my thoughts. My shoulders tensed. I closed my eyes and concentrated on not screaming. The memories were rushing back.

The same sensation, but stronger, had occurred when Aro had touched my hand so long ago. Aro's power had dealt with the mind.

"Edward," I mumbled to myself. The fingers reached into my mind. I stood and hissed, walking backward until I was in the corner of the room, my eyes fixed on Edward.

The blond shot another wave of calm at me. I tensed and refused the emotion.

"Stop it!" I screamed as both memories and Edward's finger continued to rage in my mind. I felt my fingers reach up and scratch at my ears. My body spasmed as I tried to escape through a door and into the kitchen.

I heard someone say something, but didn't care what it was or who said it, all I wanted was escape. This was too much.

I felt another presence in the room. Not Edward. Slender fingers pressed my hands flat where they were against my ears. She looked straight into my eyes.

Edward's fingers were gone.

My brain rejected the previous onslaught of memories into the back of my mind. The calm had stopped trying to take me.

I looked into the golden eyes of the vampire in front of me. She looked somewhat familiar.

"_Graduation."_

"Bella." I said. She dropped her hands. I slowly released my ears, then lowered my arms to my sides.


	19. The Truth

**So, yes it has been an unforgivably long time since I've written anything, and I'm sorry. I transferred to a new school and the homework level is grueling. Well, here's the story you've been waiting so long for.**

Bella and I walked back out into the living room where Liam was standing, with a look that fluctuated between intense worry and calm.

"Stop manipulating my emotions," Liam said with anger coursing through his silky voice. I saw his silver tongue flash behind his lips when he spoke, and I knew the room was safe from the blond vampire's manipulation.

"And you," Liam said, looking at Edward, "Don't look at Colin's mind unless he gives you permission." My mind was safe. Liam was truly my best friend. Why he didn't take over my coven is beyond me. He had the power, ability, and trust of the the members that I had to struggle to keep. He could have taken over so easily.

"Thank you, Liam," I said. Brenden was still sitting, petrified on the couch. I had the feeling that today was becoming just a little too much for him to handle.

"Fascinating," said a Cullen that looked to be about 23, "What kind of ability is that?" Liam looked over at him.

"A silver tongue," I said, "He can convince anyone to do anything. When he's using his ability, his tongue actually turns silver." I gestured toward Brenden.

"He can run really fast," I said, "And I..." I faltered.

"You're an adaptor," Liam said, "You change to the situations and people around you," he turned to the Cullen coven, "Usually he would be able to block your prodding into his mind, but he can't in his current form. He's just super-sensitive to everything."

"Fascinating," The same Cullen spoke. There was an awkward silence that was long for me, and probably eons for everyone else in the room.

"My name is Bella," the one beside me spoke, "This is Carlisle," she pointed to the one who had asked about our powers.

"I'm Jasper," said the one who had sent out the layer of calm.

"I'm Esme," said a kind-looking lady standing next to Carlisle.

"I'm Edward."

"Rosalie."

"And I'm Emmett." This one was the biggest and smiled at us.

"I'm guessing you already know my daughter," Bella said, gesturing to Renesmee. A small vampire I recognized from my first day in Forks flitted down the stairs.

"Sorry I'm late," she sang, "I'm Alice."

"I know," I said. Everyone stared at me, I didn't feel like explaining. "My name is Colin, this is Liam and Brenden." Introductions were achieved now we could get to serious business.

"Why have we been brought here?" I asked.

"We're trying to sort things out," Carlisle answered.

Edward had been muttering too quickly for me to catch to the rest of the group since we entered the house.

"What!?" Liam shouted, eyes wide, looking at Edward, "How did the Volturi find him?" Edward sighed.

"I've already said," he spoke slow enough for me to understand, "They were chasing after Jacob, hoping to hold him hostage against us when Jacob was hit by his car," he pointed at me.

"Someone in the group recognized him and they all reported back to Volterra." Volterra. Yet another onslaught of memories rushed back to my mind, years of mindless murdering for nourishment, the feeling and taste of human blood rushing down my dry throat. It took all my self control not to vomit.

"That still doesn't make any sense," Liam argued, "I was in the room when the news came that Bella and Renesmee were dead, you a hopeless zombie of what you had once been," gesturing toward Edward, "and your family a group of stag vampires who had been torn apart by the grief of the situation. I was there when they brought the remnants of your coven in and all reports were found true.

"You even had red eyes," Liam said, pointing at Carlisle. Carlisle downcast his now golden eyes. There were a few moments of silence. Edward broke the silence

"None of us are quite sure what-"

"That was all my doing," Renesmee spoke up suddenly. Everyone stared at her, incredulously, except for Bella who walked over and stood next to her daughter. Renesmee took a deep breath.

"Everyone knew the Volturi would find another reason to attack us again and I knew that our entire coven, along with my wolf and his pack were what they wanted, so I had to find a way to break us up, but I knew of Aro's power, so I knew I could not let anyone else know what was going on.

"Mom found out about my plan on accident, and we both realized that if we both disappeared it would make the Cullens seem even less attractive. So I created a picture story in my mind of Bella and I dying in front of you," she gestured to the rest of the Cullens, "Then I created the story of what each of you did in the following days.

"I knew you," referring to Edward, "would try to kill yourself if you thought we were truly dead, so I created an image of you seeing us that would appear, to Aro, as though you were seeing apparitions of your mind that looked like us." She looked ashamed at having made her father look crazy.

"Then I transferred those fake memories to each and every one of you separately." That was when Jacob entered the house in human form, nose crinkled as though against some bad odor.

"Yeah, she even gave a few memories to me," he said, walking over and pulling her close to his side, "That killed the good day I had been having. After I got those memories, I told the rest of my pack to go back to following Sam, and I became a lone wolf, going wherever my whim took me. Which is where the Volturi found me."

"They were looking for him because Alec had found mom and I living with Nahuel and his aunt in South America," Renesmee said.

"That was when I called you, Carlisle," Bella interjected, "I knew you would be the only one who knew where everyone was and I knew Edward would not truly believe that we were still alive until he saw us."

"And how did I not see all of this coming until Bella randomly showed up with Edward?" Alice asked placing her hands on her hips. Edward's mouth dropped to the floor.

"No," he whispered incredulously.

"What?" Alice said, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Think, Alice," Bella said, a slight smirk on her face, "Why couldn't you seen Nahual and his aunt?"

"For the same reason I couldn't see Renesmee when she was younger. He was too unpredictable, so I just looked for the place where my future disappeared when I decided to go somewhere." She answered.

"But you can see Renesmees future now," Bella said. Then she looked at her daughter, who was being smothered by the humongous form of Jacob Black, "Well, you can see her future when she's deciding to **not** meet up with Jake in the near future, right? When she's by herself."

"... yes," Alice said hesitantly, looking very confused.

"And neither of our abilities guard against someone seeing our futures," she looked at Renesmee for affermation.

"Correct."

"They why couldn't Alice see her?" Jacob asked, his brows were furrowed in the same confusion that Alice's face wore. I could feel my own face furrowing in the same expression.

"Well," Bella said, "Why can't you see any of our futures now?" Bella asked. Jacob sneezed, then raised his hand.

"Because I'm in the..." he stopped, "Are you implying that there's another Pack in South America?"

Everyone's faces filled with shock. Renesmee sighed.

"Yes," she said. A shocked silence filled the room. The vampire memories in me shivered. How many more tribes of werewolves could there be?

"How many shape-shifting tribes are there in the world?" Rosalie asked, "You'd think that enough one would be enough."

"Actually," Renesmee said, "The tribe in South America shares a bloodline with the tribe here." She looked at Bella.

"It's true," Bella said, "I've had about seven years of free time on my hands, so I researched both tribes and found a connection. There was one time when a very large vampire coven inhabited this area. The pack grew incredibly large, about three or four times the size it is now.

"The first wolf to transform was not of Alpha or Beta bloodline, but he was given rule over the pack until a more able wolf transformed. The Alpha that transformed did not want to take over the pack initially, and neither did the Beta, but when the vampires that had caused their change threatened to attack, the leader, the Alpha, and the Beta all wanted the Alpha position.

"Each of them had wolves that followed them, so what ended up happening, was they split into three packs. The previous leader kept this territory. The previous Beta moved to South America." Bella's story was through.

"Where did the third pack go?" Jacob asked, "And why haven't I heard of this story?"

"No one knows where the Alpha pack went," Renesmee said, "They were said to have disappeared over the great waters." Rosalie laughed.

"And you wouldn't have heard of this because you're bloodline is not of either of the greater wolves. The little man doesn't tell stories of the people who are greater than him." Renesmee gave Rosalie a disapproving glance.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Emmett said, "You mean to tell me that there are **two** wolf pack running around out in the world **beyond** the one we know about... and the Volturi hasn't found out about them yet?" Bella looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Actually," she said, "the werewolves that Caius is so afraid of are supposed to be affiliated with the Alpha pack."

Edward shook his head in disbelief.

"It looks like there are a lot of things we don't understand about your kind," he said, talking to Jacob.

"I think she's proof that there's a lot we don't know about your kind either," Jacob said, pulling Renesmee closer to his chest.

"True." Edward digressed.

"So..." Liam spoke up, "Why are we here again?"

"Obviously," I said, "there are a lot of things that are unknown and unclear. We're here to help sort everything out."

**Tell me your thoughts. What do you think is going to/ should happen next? Anything you weren't expecting? **


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